Organometallic flow chemistry: solvento complexes

Photolysis under optimised flow conditions of metal carbonyls [{L}M(CO)] [{L}M(CO) = Cr(CO)₆, Mo(CO)₆, W(CO)₆, Mn(CO)₃(η-C₅H₄Me), Re(CO)₃(η-C₅H₅)] in tetrahydrofuran (THF) conveniently affords the synthetically versatile and labile solvento complexes [{L}M(CO)(THF)], thereby obviating many of the caveats associated with photochemical syntheses using either 'batch' or falling film techniques. Conversions were optimised and yields assayed by a combination of in situ infrared spectroscopy and derivatisation as the corresponding triphenylphosphine complexes [{L}M(CO)(PPh₃)].