Abstract
The CO substitution reactions of the complex, $Cp(S-2,4-Me_2C_5H_5)CrCo$ with $PR_3(PR_3=PMePh_2,\;P(OCH_3)_3,\;PMe_2Ph)$ were investigated spectrophotometrically at various temperatures. From the reaction rates, it was suggested that the CO substitution reaction took place by first-order (dissociative) pathway. Activation parameters in decaline were ${\Delta}H^{\neq}\;=\;22.0\;kcal{\cdot}mol^{-1}$, ${\Delta}S^{\neq}=\;-3.8cal{\cdot}mol^{-1}{\cdot}K^{-1}$. Unusually low value of ${\Delta}S{\neq}$ suggests an ${\eta}^5-S{\to}{\eta}^5-U$ conversion of the pentadienyl ligand. This suggestion was confirmed by the Extended-Huckel molecular orbital (EHMO) calculations, which revealed that the total energy of $Cp(S-2,4-Me_2C_5H_5$)CrCO is about 0.42 kcal/mol more lower than that of $Cp(U-2,4-Me_2C_5H_5)CrCO$ and the energy of $[Cp(U-2,4-Me_2C_5H_5)Cr{\cdots}CO]^{\neq} $ transition state is about 2.43 kcal/mol lower than that of $[Cp(S-2,4-Me_2C_5H_5)Cr{\cdots}CO]^{\neq}$ transition state.