The photochemistry of (CO)4Mn(-3:6-C3H4C6H5)Cr(CO)3 in frozen gas matrices at ca. 12 K

We have investigated the photochemistry of [(CO)4Mn(µ-3:6-C3H4C6H5)Cr(CO)3] in low temperature matrices. In an argon matrix we see CO loss from only the Mn end of the molecule and [(CO)3Mn(µ-3:6-C3H4C6H5)Cr(CO)3] is the only observed photoproduct. However, in a N2 matrix photosubstitution is observed at both metal centres and we were able to identify [(CO)4Mn(µ-3:6-C3H4C6H5)Cr(CO)2(N2)], [(CO)3(N2)Mn(µ-3:6C3H4C6H5)Cr(CO)3] and [(CO)2(N2)2Mn(µ-3:6-C3H4C6H5)Cr(CO)3]. In all these experiments, characterisation of photoproducts was aided by comparison with experiments using the mononuclear fragments [(6-C6H5C2H5)Cr(CO)3] and [(3-C3H4C6H5)Mn(CO)4] where we were able to characterise [(3-C3H4C6H5)Mn(CO)2], [(6-C6H5C2H5)Cr(CO)2(N2)], [(3-C3H4C6H5)Mn(CO)3(N2)] and [(3-C3H4C6H5)Mn(CO)2(N2)2].