The procedure for a metal-mediated cyclopentadiene annelation to enolizable cycloalkanones is described. Its key step is based on the cyclization of a 1-metalla-1,3,5-hexatriene intermediate, which is generated from the 1-metalla-1,5-hexadien-3-yne (CO) 5 MdC(OEt)Ct CC(∼)dCH(∼) (3; M ) Cr, W) precursor. Addition of secondary amines 4a,b to [2-(1-cyclopentenyl)ethynyl]carbene complexes 3a,b (M ) W, Cr) affords the 4-amino-1-metalla-1,3,5-hexatrienes (3E)-5a-d, which cyclize spontaneously to the η 1 (C,M)-cyclopentadiene complexes 6a-d. The ring closure is highly stereoselective and involves an anti addition (!) of the MdC bond to the terminal CdC bond of the 1-metalla-1,3,5-hexatriene unit. Ligand displacement from compound 6a is achieved by protonation to give an iminium salt 7a. Addition of aniline to compounds 3a,b yields 4-(NH-amino)-1-metalla-1,3,5-hexatrienes (3Z)-10a,b, which subsequently cyclize to cyclopentenimine(N,M) complexes syn-11a,b and anti11a,b and finally afford the cyclopentenimine 12 by oxidative ligand disengagement. Addition of secondary phosphanes 13a,b to compound 3a produces a mixture of the isomeric cyclopentadiene(P,W)-tungsten complexes anti-14a,b, anti-15a,b, and anti-16b. X-ray structure analyses are reported of compounds (3E)-5a, 6c, anti-11a, anti-16b, and anti17a.(1-Alkynyl)carbene complexes (CO) 5 MdC(OEt)CtCR (M ) W, Cr) have been applied as stoichiometric reagents in a number of high-yield transformations of potential usefulness to organic synthesis. 2 It has been shown recently that cyclopentadienes can be generated in a [3 + 2] fashion from reaction of (1-alkynyl)carbene complexes with cycloalkenylamines (∼)CHdC(∼)NR 2 in solvents such as dichloromethane. 6-Amino-1-metalla-1,3,5-hexatrienes (CO) 5 MdC(OEt)CHdC(Ph)C(∼)dC(∼)-(NR 2 ) (M ) W, Cr) were found to be key intermediates in these transformations ()"alkene route to cyclopentadienes"). 3 An alternate route to the formation of cyclopentadienes by [3 + 2] cycloaddition is based upon the reaction of the (2-amino-1-alkenyl)carbene-chromium complexes ()4-amino-1-chroma-1,3-butadienes) (CO) 5 CrdC(OEt)CHdC(R′)NR 2 with alkynes RCtCH, and the 6-amino-1-chroma-1,3,5-hexatrienes (CO) 5 Crd C(R)CHdC(OEt)CHdC(R′)NR 2 (generated by insertion of the CtC into the CrdC bond) are thought to be key intermediates ()"alkyne route to cyclopentadienes"). 2a A strong driving force for the cyclization of 1-metalla-1,3,5-hexatrienes to cyclopentadienes is provided by amino substituents and not only 6-amino-(vide supra) but also 2-amino-and 4-amino substituents were found to enhance this reaction. Examples of the latter type comprise cyclization both of the 2-amino-1-tungsta-1,3,5-hexatriene (CO) 5 WdC(NEt 2 )C(Me)dC(OEt)CHdCHPh (generated by insertion of the 1-aminoalkyne Et 2 NCt CMe into the WdC bond of the 1-tungsta-1,3-butadiene (CO) 5 WdC(OEt)CHdCHPh) 4a as well as the 4-amino-1-tungsta-1,3,5-hexatriene (CO) 5 WdC(OEt)CHdC(NEt 2 )-C(Me)dCHPh (generated by insertion of the 1-aminoalkyne Et 2 NCtCMe into the CdC bond of the 1-tungsta-1,3-buta...