Reactions of the rhenium fragment (η5-C5Me5)Re(CO)2 with chlorinated ethylenes:: Coordination and C-Cl bond activation

Photochemical reactions of the dinitrogen complex Cp*Re(CO)(2)N-2 with tetrachloroethylene and trichloroethylene yield the coordination complexes Cp*Re(CO)(2)(eta(2)-tetrachloroethylene) (1) and Cp*Re(CO)(2)(eta(2)-trichloroethylene) (2), respectively. Complex 1 reacts thermally in polar organic solvents to produce the C-Cl bond activation product cis-Cp*Re(CO)(2)(C2Cl3)Cl (3). All complexes were isolated and characterized by IR, H-1 and C-13 NMR spectroscopies and mass spectrometry. Complex 3 was also characterized by X-ray crystallography. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.