A stereospecific molecular switch has been designed based on a reversible thermo- or photo-induced haptotropic shift of a Cr(CO)3 fragment along a naphthohydroquinone skeleton.

Tricarbonyl chromium complexes of naphthalene derivatives are synthesized by chromium-templated [3 + 2 + 1]-benzannulation and subjected to thermally induced haptotropic rearrangement experiments. Thermodynamic and kinetic parameters for the metal shift demonstrate the influence of the arene substitution pattern. In turn, the chromium template may be tuned as well by phosphorus coligands which allow to accelerate or slow down the isomerization process; this effect quantitatively reflects the steric and electronic properties of the coligand sphere. Proper adjustment of the template allows for a photo-induced reverse migration of the chromium moiety which results in a switchable organometallic device. Experiments with enantiopure arene chromium complexes indicate a stereospecific metal migration. The rearrangement proceeds by an intramolecular mechanism in both directions. Haptotropic isomerization reactions are not limited to bicyclic arenes and can be extended from naphthalenes to phenanthrene or tetra- and pentacyclic heteroarene systems.

(Eta6-arene)tricarbonylchromium 2 was synthesised by [3+2+1] benzannulation of the Fischer carbene complex 1 and converted to the thermodynamically more favorable regioisomer 3 by haptotropic metal migration. Photo-induced ligand-exchange reactions in both regioisomers with triphenylphosphine, triphenylphosphite, trimethylphosphine, and trimethylphosphite afforded dicarbonyl(phosphine or phosphite)arene complexes 4-11. The regioisomers were separated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and kinetic analyses of the thermo-induced haptotropic metal shift were performed with regioisomers 4, 6, 8, and 10. The kinetic parameters were compared with those obtained for the parent tricarbonyl complex 2 and were discussed in terms of the steric and electronic properties of the phosphorus ligands by applying a quantitative analysis of ligand effects (QALE). The molecular structures of regioisomeric PPh3 and P(OPh)3 complexes 4/5 and 6/7 as well as of P(OMe)3 complex 10 have been established by single-crystal X-ray analysis.

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