Trends in the Reactivity of the CpMn(CO)(2)(eta(2)-arene) Bond [arene = benzene, toluene, o-xylene, m-xylene, p-xylene, and mesitylene]: An Experimental and Theoretical Investigation
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abstract
The displacement of 2-coordinated arenes [arenes = benzene, toluene, o-xylene, m-xylene, p-xylene, and mesitylene] from the photolytically generated C pMn(CO) 2( 2-arene) complex by pyridine was studied. The substitution reaction proceeds by a dissociative mechanism, and the relative rates of displacement provide information about the interplay between electronic and steric factors in determining the overall stability of the Mn-( 2-arene) bond. The regioselectivity of metal binding to the arene ligand was determined by examining the observed trends in the relative displacement rates for the xylenes. Theoretical modeling of the Mn-( 2-arene) complexes lends support for the experimental analysis. Interestingly, unlike the other arenes, DFT (density functional theory) calculations suggest that mesitylene is bound to the Mn center by an arene C-H bond rather than by a C=C edge of the aromatic system. 2009 American Chemical Society.
