Density functional quantum chemical calculations of the mechanisms of metallotropic η 2 ,η 2 intra and η 2 ,η 2 inter ring haptotropic rearrangements (HRs) in 16e zero valent η 2 (naphthalene and anthracene)nickel complexes involving migration of the organometallic group within the same ring or from one aromatic ring to the other were carried out. The structures of the initial complexes, transition states, and intermediates were determined. The intra ring HRs in these systems proceed via low energy η 4 cis butadiene transition states. The inter ring HRs proceed along the periphery of the naphthalene and anthracene ligands via high energy η 3 allylic transition states. In contrast to well investigated η 6 ,η 6 inter ring HRs in (naphthalene and anthracene)tricarbonylchromium complexes, the activation barriers to the η 2 ,η 2 inter ring HRs in the corresponding nickel complexes are much lower. Transition states of these processes are characterized by higher hapticity compared to the initial complexes. This also distinguishes the nickel complexes from the corresponding Cr(CO) 3 complexes for which the hapticities of transition states of the η 6 ,η 6 inter ring HRs are lower than those of the initial complexes. The calculated activation barriers to the η 2 ,η 2 intra ring HRs in the (naphthalene and anthracene)nickel complexes as well as the barrier to rotation of the organonickel group in the naphthalene complex are in good agreement with the experimental data. The calculated barriers to the η 2 ,η 2 inter ring HRs in the naphthalene and anthracene complexes are 3-5 kcal mol -1 lower than the experimental values. This is probably due to the competition between two mechanisms of this process, a low energy intramolecular mechanism and a high energy intermolecular dissociative mechanism.