The photolytic reactions of [Mn,(p-H) (p-PPh,) (CO),] and of [(q-C,H,) (CO),Mo(p-H) -(p-PPh,) M n ( CO),] with alkynes containing a-methyl or a-methylene substituents have been studied. The dimanganese complex reacts with MeCECH to give, in comparable yields, the q3-allyl complex [Mn,(p-PPh,) (q3-C3H5) (CO),] and an inseparable mixture of the two p-vinyl complexes [Mn(p-PPh,),{p-o:q2-C( Me)=CH,}(CO),] and [Mn,{p-o:q2-C(H)=C(H)Me}(p-PPh,) (CO),]. With MeCzCMe, [Mn,(p-PPh,)(q3-syn-MeCHCHCH,) (CO),] and [Mn,{p-o:q2-C( Me)=C( H)Me}(p-PPh,) (CO),] are obtained, again in comparable yields. Reactions of the dimanganese complex with EtCrCH and PhC-CMe proceed analogously. The molybdenummanganese complex does not give p-vinyl complexes on reaction with MeCrCH, MeCrCMe, or E t C K H . Instead MeCrCH gives [(CO),] as the sole product whereas M e C r C M e and EtCGCH both give the same inseparable isomeric mixture of [ (q -C,H,) (CO),Mo(p-PPh,) Mn(q3-syn-MeCflCHCH,) (CO),] and [ (q-C5f15) (CO),Mo(p-PPh,) -Mn(q3-anti-MeCHCHCH,) (CO),]. Deuteriation studies show that the formation of the allyl complexes from the alkynes involves a 1,2 hydrogen shift within the ligand; a mechanistic scheme for the reactions of the dimanganese and molybdenum-manganese complexes with a-methyl-and x-methylene-substituted alkynes consistent w i t h such a shift is proposed.The reactions of alkynes with dinuclear and polynuclear complexes containing p-hydrido ligands generally give, in the first instance, insertion products containing p-vinyl ligands. In a previous paper we reported that the dimanganese coniplex [Mn,(p-H)(p-PPh,)(CO),] (1) reacts in this way with RCrCR' under photolysis to give the p-vinyl complexes [Mn,(p-o:q2-
C(R)=C(H)R')(p-PPh,)(CO),1.6The range of alkynes studied was, however, restricted to P h C S P h , P h C g H , and H C g H and we have now extended our investigations to alkynes containing x-methyl or a-methylene substituents. In addition to giving p-vinyl complexes such alkynes also give q3-allyl complexes by a process which must involve hydrogen transfer within the ligands. In order to explore the generality of these hydrogen-transfer reactions we have also studied the reactions of alkynes containing a-methyl or a-methylene substituents with the p-hydrido heterodimetallic complex [(q-C,H,)(CO),Mo-(p-H)(p-PPh2)Mn(C0),1 (2).738 Complexes (1) and (2) react differently with acetylene itself, the former giving a simple pvinyl complex ' whereas the latter gives, as the major product,