Metallacyclopentanes
In organometallic chemistry, metallacyclopentanes are compounds with the formula LnM4. They are a type of metallacycle. Metallacyclopentanes are intermediates in some metal-catalysed reactions in homogeneous catalysis.
Synthesis
Traditionally, metallacyclopentanes are prepared by dialkylation of metal dihalides with 1,4‐bisbutane or the related dilithio reagent. The complex NiC4H8 is prepared by the oxidative addition of 1,4-dibromobutane to Ni precursors. Metallacyclopentanes also arise via the dimerization of ethylene within the coordination sphere of a low-valence metal center. This reaction is relevant to the catalytic production of butenes and related alkenes.Structure
Unsubstituted metallacyclopentanes adopt conformations related to cyclopentane itself: open-envelope conformation and a twisted open-envelope structure.Occurrence
The first reported metallacylopentane is Fe4C4F8, obtained from Fe5 and tetrafluoroethylene.Examples of metallacyclopentanes come from studies of the Ni-catalyzed linear- and cyclo-dimerization of ethylenes. Linear dimerization proceeds via beta-hydride elimination of the nickelacyclopentane Ni4 whereas cyclodimerization to give cyclobutane proceeds by reductive elimination from the related 2Ni4. Another example of a metallacyclopentane is the titanocene derivative Cp2Ti4.
Metallacyclopentanes are intermediates in the metal-catalysed dimerization, trimerization, and tetramerization of ethylene to give 1-butene, 1-hexene, and 1-octene, respectively. These compounds are of commercial interest as comonomers, used in the production of polyethylene.
In the evolution of heterogeneous alkene metathesis catalysts, metallacyclopentanes are invoked as intermediates in the formation of metal alkylidenes from ethylene. Thus, metallacyclopentane intermediates are proposed to isomerize to metallacyclobutanes, which can eliminate alkene giving the alkylidene.