Metal complexes derived from the o-xylylidene ligand, o-C₆H₄(CH₂^–)₂, and the X-ray crystal and molecular structure of the metallocycle [Zr(η-C₅H₅)₂{(CH₂)₂C₆H₄-o}]

Abstract

From the new di-Grignard reagent o-C6H4-(CH2MgCl)2[abbreviated as L(MgCl)2](i) the thermally stable metallobenzocyclopentenes [M(η-C5H4R)2L](R = Me3Si and M = Ti, Zr, or Hf; or R = H and M = Ti or Zr) and [Pt(cod)L], (ii) the η1-diacyl [[graphic omitted](:O)}]via[Hf(η-C5H4-SiMe3)2L] and CO, and (iii) the pyrophoric ML2(thf)(M = Ti, Zr, or Hf) and MgL(thf) have been obtained; X-ray analysis of the title compound to R= 0·021 shows an average Zr–CH2 distance of 2·300(2)Å, ∠CH2ZrCH2= 77·4(2)°, with the methylene carbons 0·11 and 0·12 Å out of the plane of the C6 ring.