Reactivity patterns of transition metal hydrides and alkyls

The complex PPN+ CpV(CO)3H- (Cp=eta5-C5H5 and PPN = (Ph3P)2) was prepared in 70% yield and its physical properties and chemical reactions investigated. PPN+ CpV(CO)3H- reacts with a wide range of organic halides. The organometallic products of these reactions are the vanadium halides PPN+[CpV(C)3X]- and in some cases the binuclear bridging hydride PPN+ [CpV(CO)3]2H-. The borohydride salt PPN+[CpV(CO)3BH4]- has also been prepared. The reaction between CpV(CO)3H- and organic halides was investigated and compared with halide reductions carried out using tri-n-butyltin hydride. Results demonstrate that in almost all cases, the reduction reaction proceeds via free radical intermediates which are generated in a chain process, and are trapped by hydrogen transfer from CpV(CO)3H-. Sodium amalgam reduction of CpRh(CO)2 or a mixture of CpRh(CO)2 and CpCo(CO)2 affords two new anions, PPN+ [Cp2Rh3(CO)4]- and PPN+[Cp2RhCo(CO)2]-. CpMo(CO)3H reacts with CpMo(CO)3R (R=CH3,C2H5, CH2C6H5) at 25 to 500C to produce aldehyde RCHO and the dimers [CpMo(CO)3]2 and [CpMo(CO)2]2. In general, CpV(CO)3H- appears to transfer a hydrogen atom to the metal radical anion formed in an electron transfer process, whereas CpMo(CO)3H transfers hydride in a 2-electron process to a vacant coordination site. The chemical consequences are that CpV(CO)3H- generally reacts with metal alkyls to give alkanes via intermediate alkyl hydride species whereas CpMo(CO)3H reacts with metal alkyls to produce aldehyde, via an intermediate acyl hydride species