Reactions of trans-Fe(CO)3(P((CH2)mCH═CH2)3)2 (m = a/4; b/5, c/6, e/8) and Grubbs' catalyst (12-24 mol %, CH2Cl2, reflux) give the cage-like trienes trans- Fe(CO)3(P((CH2)mCH═CH(CH2)m)3 P) (3a-c,e, 60-81%). Hydrogenations (ClRh(PPh3)3, 60-80 °C) yield the title compounds trans- Fe(CO)3(P((CH2)n)3 P) (4a-c,e, 74-86%; n = 2m + 2), which have idealized D3h symmetry. A crystal structure of 4c suggests enough van der Waals clearance for the Fe(CO)3 moiety to rotate within the three P(CH2)14P linkages; structures of E,E,E-3a show rotation to be blocked by the shorter P(CH2)4CH═CH(CH2)4P linkages. Additions of NO(+)BF4(-) give the isoelectronic and isosteric cations [ Fe(CO)2(NO)(P((CH2)n)3 P)](+)BF4(-) (5a-c(+)BF4(-); 81-98%). Additions of [H(OEt2)2](+)BArf(-) (BArf = B(3,5-C6H3(CF3)2)4) afford the metal hydride complexes mer,trans-[ Fe(CO)3(H)(P((CH2)n)3 P)](+)BArf(-) (6a-c,e(+)BArf(-); 98-99%). The behavior of the rotators in the preceding complexes is probed by VT NMR. At ambient temperature in solution, 5a,b(+)BF4(-) and 6a(+)BArf(-) show two sets of P(CH2)n/2 (13)C NMR signals (2:1), whereas 5c(+)BF4(-) and 6b,c(+)BArf(-) show only one. At higher temperatures, the signals of 5b(+)BF4(-) coalesce; at lower temperatures, those of 5c(+)BF4(-) and 6b(+)BArf(-) decoalesce. These data give ΔH(⧧)/ΔS(⧧) values (kcal/mol and eu) of 8.3/-28.4 and 9.5/-6.5 for Fe(CO)2(NO)(+) rotation (5b,c(+)) and 6.1/-23.5 for Fe(CO)3(H)(+) rotation (6b(+)). (13)C CP/MAS NMR spectra show that the Fe(CO)3 moiety in polycrystalline 4c (but not 4a) undergoes rapid rotation between -60 and 95 °C. Approaches to minimizing these barriers and developing molecular gyroscopes are discussed.

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Reactions of Br(CH2)mCH=CH2 with Mg powder and then PCl3 (0.33 equiv.) afford P((CH2)m- CH=CH2)3 (1; m = a, 4; b, 5; c, 6; d, 7; e, 8; f, 9; 52 - 87%). Reactions of 1a - c, e with PdX2(COD) (X = Cl, Br) give trans-PdX2(P((CH2)mCH=CH2)3)2 (35 - 92%). Reactions of 1b - e with PtCl2 in benzene give mainly trans-PtCl2(P((CH2)mCH=CH2)3)2 (trans-5b-e; 52 - 75%), whereas those with K2PtCl4 in water give mainly cis-5b-e (33 - 70%). The reaction of equimolar quantities of 1c and H3B・S(CH3)2 gives the 1 : 1 adduct H3B・P((CH2)6CH=CH2)3 (85%). In none of these transformations are by-products derived from the C=C linkages observed

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Reactions of the phosphite and phosphine complexes cis-PtCl 2((PX(CH2)mCH=CH2)3)2 (X/m = O/3, O/4, O/5, -/5, -/6) with Grubbs' catalyst, followed by hydrogenations, yield cis-PtCl2(P(X(CH2)(2m+2)X)3P) (6-40%). Crystal structures establish parachute-like motifs in which one X(CH2)(2 m+2)X bridge lies roughly in the platinum coordination plane, and the others lie above and below.