Electrocatalytic dimerisation of non-heteroatom-substituted manganese alkynylcarbene complexes

Upon controlled potential electrolysis (–1.30 V vs. SCE), the alkynylcarbene complexes MeCp(CO)2MnC(R)CCR are seen to undergo an electrocatalytic dimerisation by coupling of the remote alkynyl carbon atoms to afford the ene-diyne dimanganese complexes [MeCp(CO)2Mn]2 [4-(E)-RCC(R)CC(R)CCR].