The experimental reaction between [1,2,4-(Me3C)3C5H2]2CeCH2Ph and CH3X, X = F, Cl, Br, and I, yields the metathetical exchange products, [1,2,4-(Me3C)3C5H2]2CeX and CH3CH2Ph. The reaction is complicated by the equilibrium between the benzyl derivative and the metallacycle [1,2,4-(Me3C)3C5H2][(Me3C)2C5H2C(CH3)2CH2]Ce, plus toluene since the metallacycle reacts with CH3X. Labelling studies show that the methyl group of the methylhalide is transferred intact to the benzyl group. The mechanism, as revealed by DFT calculations on (C5H5)2CeCH2Ph and CH3F, does not proceed by way of a four-center mechanism, a Ï-bond metathesis, but by a lower barrier process involving a haptotropic shift of the Cp2Ce fragment so that at the transition state the para-carbon of the benzene ring is attached to the Cp2Ce fragment while the CH2 fragment of the benzyl group attacks CH3F that is activated by coordination to the metal ion. As a result the mechanism is classified as an associative interchange process.
[1,2,4-(Me3C)3C5H2]2Ce Ph 和 X(X = F、Cl、Br 和 I)之间的实验反应产生了元交换产物 [1,2,4-(Me3C)3C5H2]2CeX 和 Ph。苄基衍
生物和
金属环 [1,2,4-(Me3C)3C5H2][(Me3C)2C5H2C(
CH3)2 ]Ce 以及
甲苯之间的平衡使反应变得复杂,因为
金属环会与 X 发生反应。标记研究表明,甲基卤化物的甲基完整地转移到了苄基上。通过对 (
C5H5)2Ce Ph 和 F 的 DFT 计算发现,该机理不是通过四中心机理(Ï-键元合成)进行的,而是通过涉及 Cp2Ce 片段的触变转移的较低障碍过程进行的,因此在过渡态,苯环的对位碳附着在 Cp2Ce 片段上,而苄基的
CH2 片段攻击因与
金属离子配位而活化的 F。因此,该机制被归类为关联交换过程。