CONVENIENT SYNTHESIS OF LORO(OXO)(PENTAMETHYLCYCLOPENTADIENYL)VANADIUM(V), (ETA-C5ME5)V(O)CL-2

Organometallic oxo compounds have been the subject of an ever-increasi ng number of investigations over the past decade,(1) with pentamethylc yclopentadienyl ligands frequently used as ancillary ligands to enhanc e solubility and to define or limit the reactive sites in these oxo co mpounds.(2,3) Therefore, it surprised us to find that (eta-C5Me5)V(O)C l-2 has been the subject of only a limited number of investigations.(4 -8) Previously reported synthetic routes to this compound(4-6) involve expensive and highly reactive starting materials, which may present a barrier to the development of new chemistry of (eta-C5Me5)V(O)Cl-2. I n examining possible synthetic routes to cyclopentadienyl-substituted vanadium silylimido and nitrido compounds,(9,10) we discovered a high- yield, straightforward synthesis of (eta-C5Me5)V(O)Cl-2(11) that is ba sed on a very easy to handle vanadium reagent, VCl3, and uses O-2, as a reagent gas or from air, as a readily available oxo source. Because (eta-C5Me5)V(O)Cl-2 provides an attractive entry into organovanadium o xo material for other vanadium(V) monopentamethylcyclopentadienyl comp ounds, me report the details of our synthesis herein.