Electronic and steric properties of stable silylene ligands in metal(0) carbonyl complexes

A series of stable silylene-transition metal complexes have been synthesize d by substitution of silylenes 1 and 2 for carbonyl ligands in simple metal carbonyl complexes: M(1)(2)(CO)(4) and M(2)2(CO)4 (M = Cr, Mo, W), Fe(1)(C O)(4) and Ru(1)(2)(CO)(3). X-ray crystal structures are reported. Infrared and NMR spectroscopy were used to probe the electronic properties of stable silylene ligands, Based on these data, the stable silylene 1 behaves elect ronically very much like triaryl phosphines. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science BN. All rights reserved.