SYNTHESIS AND REACTIVITY OF AZIRIDINOCARBENE COMPLEXES OF CHROMIUM AND TUNGSTEN - FORMATION OF NITRILE AND ACETIMINOESTER COMPLEXES

2-Methylaziridine HNCH2CHCH3 reacts with alkyl- and aryl-(alkoxy)carbene complexes of chromium and tungsten to give alkyl- and aryl-aziridinocarbene complexes. The latter undergo a thermal transformation to give olefins and alkyl- or aryl-nitrilechromium pentacarbonyl complexes, e.g. (CO)5CrNC-o-tolyl (which has been characterized by X-ray crystallography). 2-Phenylaziridine HNCH2CHPh in turn reacts with the carbene complexes to give directly styrene and the acetiminoester complexes (CO)5WHNC(CH3)OCH2CH3 and (CO)5CrHNC(CH3)OCH2-CH3. The latter gives, upon hydrolysis (CO)5CrNH3. The structures of (CO)5WHNC(CH3)OCH2CH3 and (CO)5CrNH3 have been determined by X-ray diffraction. The mechanisms of the two reactions are discussed. © 1990.