Stereochemical requirements for thermally induced hydrogen migrations in tricarbonyl(η-methoxycyclohexa-1,3-diene)iron complexes

Abstract

Tricarbonyl(η-5-exo-methoxycyclohexa-1,3-diene)iron has been shown to undergo a thermal reaction to a mixture of the 1- and 2-methoxy-isomers plus a small amount of tricarbonyl(η-cyclohexa-1,3-diene)iron. Tricarbonyl(η-5-endo-methoxycyclohexa-1,3-diene)iron does not react under identical conditions. These results have been interpreted in terms of a reaction mechanism in which migration of only the C⁵endo-hydrogen occurs.