CLEAVAGE OF CO-C BOND IN A COBALTATHIIRANE BY HYDROGEN-CHLORIDE AND REFORMATION OF CO-C BOND BY TETRABUTYLAMMONIUM FLUORIDE

The cobaltadithiolene complex, 1-methoxycarbonyl-1,2-ethenedithiolato) cobalt(III) (la) reacts with trimethylsilyldiazomethane by formal addi tion of Me(3)SiCH to the Co-S bond to afford a cobaltathiirane (2a). A ddition of hydrogen chloride to 2a causes the cleavage of the Co-C bon d to give lopentadienyl)[[1-(trimethylsilyl)methylthio-kappa S]-1-meth oxycarbonylethene-2-thiolato-kappa S]cobalt(III) (4a). By the reaction with tetrabutylammonium fluoride in THF, 4a undergoes loss of Cl and Me(3)Si to afford (eta(5)-cyclopentadienyl)-[(methylene-kappa C-thio-k appa S)-1-methoxycarbonylethene-2-thiolato-kappa S]cobalt(III) (2c).