Organometallic chemistry in a conventional microwave oven: the facile synthesis of group 6 carbonyl complexes

Syntheses proceeding by reflux may be improved, accelerated and simplified, by carrying out the reaction in a modified conventional microwave oven. To demonstrate the potential of this method, the synthesis of over 20 group 6 organometallic compounds is reported. Hexacarbonyls, most notably Mo(CO)6, react with a range of mono, and bi, and tridentate ligands in a modified conventional microwave oven. They generally proceed without an inert atmosphere, yields are high and reaction times are short. For example, cis-[Mo(CO)4(dppe)] is prepared in >95% yield in 20 min. Reaction of Mo(CO)6 with dicyclopentadiene affords a simple one-step synthesis of [CpMo(CO)3]2 in >90% yield, which reacts further with alkynes in toluene to produce dimetallatetrahedrane derivatives, [Cp2Mo2(CO)4(μ-RC2R)]; presumably via the in situ formation of air-sensitive [CpMo(CO)2]2. Dimolybdenum tetra-acetate is also prepared in 48% yield in 45 min, however, this reaction requires an inert atmosphere. While W(CO)6 reacts rapidly with amines to give cis diamine adducts in high yields, direct reactions with phosphines are not so clean. Bis(phosphine) complexes are, however, cleanly formed when a small amount of piperidine is added to the reaction mixture, presumably via the bis(piperidine) complex cis-[W(CO)4(pip)2]. Reactions with Cr(CO)6 generally require an inert atmosphere and proceed less cleanly, although the important synthon [Cr(CO)5Cl][NEt4] was prepared in 30 min (74% yield), while [(η6-C6H5OMe)Cr(CO)3] can be prepared in 45% after 4 h.