Characterization and reactions of previously elusive 17-electron cations: electrochemical oxidations of (C(6)H(6))Cr(CO)(3) and (C(5)H(5))Co(CO)(2) in the presence of [B(C(6)F(5))(4)](-).

The electrochemical oxidations of (C6H6)Cr(CO)3, 1, and (C5H5)Co(CO)2, 2, when carried out in CH2Cl2/[NBu4][B(C6F5)4], allow the physical or chemical characterization of the 17-electron cations 1+ and 2+ at room temperature. The generation of 1+ on a synthetic time scale permits an electrochemical "switch" process involving facile substitution of CO by PPh3 as a route to (C6H6)Cr(CO)2PPh3. The radical 2+ undergoes a second-order reaction to give a product assigned as the metal-metal bonded dimer dication [Cp2Co2(CO)4]2+. The new anodic chemistry of these often-studied 18-electron compounds is made possible by increases in the solubility and thermal stability of the cation radicals in media containing the poorly nucleophilic anion [B(C6F5)4]-, TFAB.