The activation of 1-phenyl-2-propyn-1-ol, 1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-propyn-1-ol, and 1-(4-fluorophenyl)prop-2-yn-1-ol by [Cp*RuCl(dippe)] (dippe = 1,2-bis(diisopropylphosphine)ethane) provides a series ofallenylidene derivatives, [Cp*Ru(dippe)(=C=C=CHAr)][BF
4] (Ar = C
6H
5 (
1),
p-C
6H
4(OMe) (
2),
p-C
6H
4(F) (
3)), and the corresponding alkenylcarbyne complexes [Cp*Ru(dippe)(
![](/images/entities/tbd1.gif)
C-CH=CHAr)][BF
4]
2 (Ar= C
6H
5 (
4),
p-C
6H
4(OMe) (
5),
p-C
6H
4(F) (
6)) by allenylidene protonation. The dicationic alkenylcarbynecomplexes behave as a carbocationic species able to cause the aromatic electrophilic substitution of 1,3-dimethoxybenzene, furnishing
![](/images/gifchars/gamma.gif)
-substituted vinylidene complexes [Cp*Ru{=C=CHCHAr(C
6H
3(OMe)
2)}(dippe)][BF
4] (Ar = C
6H
5 (
7),
p-C
6H
4(OMe) (
8),
p-C
6H
4(F) (
9)). A series of bicyclic carbene complexes[Cp*Ru(L)(dippe)][BF
4] (L = 7-hydroxy-4-phenylchroman-2-ylidene (
10), 4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-7-hydroxychroman-2-ylidene (
11), 4-(4-fluorophenyl)-7-hydroxychroman-2-ylidene (
12)) are obtained bythe direct reaction of resorcinol with alkenylcarbyne complexes. The X-ray structure of
12 shows theformation of a chroman-2-ylidene ligand. The reaction of allenylidene complexes requires the presenceof a weak acid (NH
4BF
4) to perform the electrophilic aromatic substitution (step 1) and a strong acid(HBF
4) to induce the intramolecular cyclization (step 2). The
![](/images/gifchars/gamma.gif)
-substituted vinylidene [Cp*Ru{=C=CHCHPh(C
6H
3(OH)
2)}(dippe)][BF
4] (
13) has been isolated as the intermediate between steps 1 and 2.Similar bicyclic carbon skeletons (hexahydrochromen-2-ylidene, complexes
14b-
16b) are obtained byreaction of the allenylidene complexes with cyclohexanedione. In this case, the carbene complexes arein equilibrium with the isomeric
![](/images/gifchars/gamma.gif)
-substituted vinylidenes
14a-
16a. The effect of the presence of electron-donor and electron-withdrawing groups on the allenylidene/alkenylcarbyne substituents is analyzed.