Homolytic cleavage and aggregation processes in cyclopentadienylchromium chemistry

The reactivity of the cyclopentadienylchromium tricarbonyl dimer [CpCr(CO)3]2 (Cp = C5H5, 1) toward several classes of organo-P-, -S- and -N-compounds will be described. The organic substrates include the following: (i) bis(diphenylthiophosphinyl)disulfane, R2P(S)SSP(S)R2; (ii) bis(thiophosphoryl)disulfane, (RO)2P(S)SSP(S)(OR)2; (iii) tetraalkylthiuram disulfides, R2NC(S)SSC(S)NR2; (iv) tetraalkyldiphosphine disulfides, R2P(S)P(S)R2; (v) dibenzothiazolyl disulfide, (C6H4NSC)2; and (vi) Lawesson's reagent, (CH3OC6H4)2P2S4. The primary products, namely, the complexes CpCr(CO)2(SPR2), CpCr(CO)2)(S2CNR2), CpCr(CO)2(SCSN(C6H4)), and CpCr(CO)2(SPC6H4OCH3), containing the thiophosphinito, dithiocarbamate, 2-mercaptobenzothiazole, and dithiophosphorane ligands, respectively, arise from facile cleavage of the S-S, P-P, and P-S bonds in the organic substrates. Further treatment of these complexes with 1 under thermal activation results in cleavage of C-X (X = N, S), P-S, and Cr-E (E = C, N, P, S) bonds, accompanied by C-C and P-P bond formation in some cases, generating a variety of organometallic compounds belonging to the phosphido, phosphinidene, thiocarbenoid, dithiooxamide, aminocarbyne, aminoalkenylacyl, and cuboidal types.