Treatment of (
R)-[{
![](/images/gifchars/alpha.gif)
-(dimethylamino)ethyl}-
6-benzene]Cr(CO)
3 with esters of chloroformicacid leads to stereoselective substitution of the dimethylamino group for a chloro substituent.The reaction can be extended to systems in which the chromium arene complex, aftermetalation, is diastereoselectively substituted in the
ortho position with carbon and siliconelectrophiles to generate planar chirality. The chloro group in turn can be replacedstereoselectively for various phosphorus, nitrogen, and oxygen nucleophiles. Both substitutionreactions in the benzylic position proceed via retention of configuration. The addition ofcyanide is not stereospecific. The phosphine derivatives are efficient catalysts for theenantioselective hydrovinylation of styrene to 3-phenyl-1-butene. X-ray crystal structuresestablish the absolute configuration of (
R)-[(
![](/images/gifchars/alpha.gif)
-chloroethyl)
6-benzene]Cr(CO)
3, (
R)-[{
![](/images/gifchars/alpha.gif)
-(diphenylphosphanyl)ethyl}-
6-benzene]Cr(CO)
3, and (
pS,S)-[1-(
![](/images/gifchars/alpha.gif)
-cyanoethyl)-2-methyl-
6-benzene]Cr(CO)
3.