Oxidative addition of CH
3I to (d
tbpe)Ni(C
2H
4) (d
tbpe =
tBu
2PC
2H
4P
tBu
2) affords (d
tbpe)Ni(I)CH
3 (
1). The reaction of (d
tbpe)NiCl
2 or
1 with the stoichiometric quantity of (tmeda)Mg(CH
3)
2 yields (d
tbpe)Ni(CH
3)
2 (
2). (d
tbpe)Ni(I)CD
3 (
1-
d3)
and (d
tbpe)Ni(CD
3)
2 (
2-
d6) havebeen prepared analogously. Thermolysis of
2 in benzene affords {(d
tbpe)Ni}
2(
![](/images/entities/mgr.gif)
-
2:
2-C
6H
6)(
4). The reaction of either
2 or
4 with hydrogen (H
2, HD, D
2) gives {(d
tbpe)Ni}
2(
![](/images/entities/mgr.gif)
-H)
2 (
3)
andthe isotopomers {(d
tbpe)Ni}
2(
![](/images/entities/mgr.gif)
-H)(
![](/images/entities/mgr.gif)
-D) (
3-
d)
and {(d
tbpe)Ni}
2(
![](/images/entities/mgr.gif)
-D)
2 (
3-
d2). According to theNMR spectra, the structure of
3 is dynamic in solution. The crystal structures of
2 and 3have been determined by X-ray crystallography. Solution thermolysis of
2 or reduction of(d
tbpe)NiCl
2 with Mg* in the presence of alkanes probably involves
![](/images/gifchars/sigma.gif)
-complex-typeintermediates [(d
tbpe)Ni(
2-R'H)] (R' = e.g. C
2H
5,
A). While the nonisolated [(d
tbpe)Ni
0]
![](/images/gifchars/sigma.gif)
-complexes
A are exceedingly reactive intermediates, isolated
3 and 4 represent easy toh
andle starting complexes for [(d
tbpe)Ni
0] reactions. Partial protolysis of
2 with CF
3SO
3Haffords (d
tbpe)Ni(CH
3)(OSO
2CF
3) (
5). Complex
5 reacts slowly with 2 equiv of ethene to giveequimolar amounts of [(d
tbpe)Ni(C
2H
5)]
+(OSO
2CF
3-) (
6)
and propene. The reaction is thoughtto be initiated by an insertion of ethene into the Ni-CH
3 bond of
5 to form the intermediate[(d
tbpe)Ni(C
3H
7)(OSO
2CF
3)] (
G), followed by elimination of propene to give the hydrideintermediate [(d
tbpe)Ni(H)(OSO
2CF
3)] (
H), which on insertion of ethene into the Ni-H bondaffords
6.