Fluxional behavior of methyl-substituted tricarbonyl(tropone)iron complexes and their different reactivity

The compositions of regioisomeric mixtures of tricarbonyliron complexes of 2-methyltropone (1a,b), 3-methyltropone (2a,b) and 2,6-dimethyltropone (3a,b) are studied and compared with the results of ab initio computations. The structures, frontier orbitals, and population analysis are evaluated by means of density functional theory. The thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of regioisomerizations are determined using dynamic 1H NMR technique. The influence of methyl-substituent(s) on the equilibrium ratio of regioisomers resulting from the haptotropic rearrangement is discussed. Significant differences in the reactivity of C-protonized methyl- and dimethyl-substituted tricarbonyl(tropone)iron complexes 4–6 in nucleophilic additions and corresponding O-trimethylsilylated complexes 7–9 in [3+2] cycloadditions are explained in terms of electronic and steric effects of the methyl group(s). Various hydroazulenone cycloadducts of tricarbonyl(η4-2,6-dimethyltropone)iron 3a,b have been prepared by stereoselective [3+2] cycloaddition with Fp-reagents 12–14 and characterized. Formerly proposed mechanism of [3+2] cycloaddition was approved.