An unusual high-pressure (<5000 psi) and low-temperature (>30 K)cell is used to studythe photochemistry o
f d
6 metal carbonyl complexes andrelated compounds in a polyethylene(PE) matrix. This approach combines some o
f the advantages o
ftraditional matrix isolationwith those o
f low temperature solvents (e.g. liquid Xe). UVphotolysis o
f M(CO)
6 underpressures o
f N
2 lead initially to the
formation o
fM(CO)
5N
2 and, on longer photolysis,tomore highly substitutedM(CO)
6-n(N
2)
n(
n ![](/images/entities/le.gi<font color=)
f"> 4) species. Photolysis under a pressure o
fH
2leads to M(CO)
5(
![](/images/gi<font color=)
fchars/eta.gi
f" BORDER=0 >
2-H
2) and
cis-M(CO)
4(
![](/images/gi<font color=)
fchars/eta.gi
f" BORDER=0 >
2-H
2)
2,disubstituted compounds which werepreviously unknown
for Mo and W. The thermal reactivities o
f allo
f these compounds werequalitatively established by raising the temperature o
f the PE matrixand monitoring thereaction with CO. The UV photolysis o
f W(CO)
5CS and(
![](/images/gi<font color=)
fchars/eta.gi
f" BORDER=0 >
6-C
6H
3(CH
3)
3)M(CO)
3(M = Crand Mo) also leads to previously uncharacterized H
2 andN
2 complexes. The low-temperature,high-pressure (LT-HP) cell allows gases to be exchanged during thecourse o
f a singleexperiment. The conditions needed
for H
2 andN
2 to penetrate the PE and to be removed
from it have been investigated, and this in
formation has been used tostudy thermal exchangereactions between coordinated N
2 and
![](/images/gi<font color=)
fchars/eta.gi
f" BORDER=0 >
2-H
2 ligands in M(CO)
5Lcompounds. It was
foundthat the reactivity
followed the order Mo > Cr > W.