A Versatile Synthon for the Preparation of Chiral Rhenium(I)-Amine Complexes and the Synthesis of an η2 Benzaldehyde Species

At present, the pentaammineosmium(II) moiety is unparalleled

in its ability to form ^-coordinated complexes with unsaturated

organic ligands such as aldehydes, ketones,1 arenes,2 and aromatic

heterocycles.3 For aromatic ligands in particular, these complexes

have proven to be valuable synthons for organic systems.4 The

combination of an electron-rich heavy metal and an octahedral

ligand environment lacking strong -acids provides a system

showing properties common to both classical coordination and

organometallic chemistry. It is our expectation that isoelectronic

Re(I) in a suitable octahedral amine ligand environment may

show properties similar to those of the pentaammineosmium

system.......