Reversible Cleavage/Formation of the Chromium-Chromium Quintuple Bond in the Highly Regioselective Alkyne Cyclotrimerization.

Herein we report the employment of the quintuply bonded dichromium amidinates [Cr{κ -HC(N-2,6- Pr C H )(N-2,6-R C H )}] (R=iPr (1), Me (7)) as catalysts to mediate the [2+2+2] cyclotrimerization of terminal alkynes giving 1,3,5-trisubstituted benzenes. During the catalysis, the ultrashort Cr-Cr quintuple bond underwent reversible cleavage/formation, corroborated by the characterization of two inverted arene sandwich dichromium complexes (μ-η :η -1,3,5-(Me Si) C H )[Cr{κ -HC(N-2,6- Pr C H )(N-2,6-R C H )}] (R= Pr (5), Me (8)). In the presence of σ donors, such as THF and 2,4,6-Me C H CN, the bridging arene 1,3,5-(Me Si) C H in 5 and 8 was extruded and 1 and 7 were regenerated. Theoretical calculations were employed to disclose the reaction pathways of these highly regioselective [2+2+2] cylcotrimerization reactions of terminal alkynes.