A MODEL FOR CO INSERTION IN TRANSITION-METAL COMPLEXES

A theoretical model recently developed for describing reactions cataly sed by transition metal complexes is applied to CO insertion in RML(n) complexes (where M is a transition metal, R is aryl, alkyl, or anothe r sigma-bonded ligand, and L stands for ancillary ligands). The effect of the migrating group R, the metal M, and the number of ancillary li gands L on the insertion step is studied. The mechanism of the double carbonylation reactions of organic halides, catalysed by transition me tal complexes, is analysed in the framework of the proposed model.