The Metallacyclopentane-Olefin Interchange Reaction

Tris(triphenylphosphine)tetramethylenenickel(II) and biscyclopentadienyltetramethylenetitanium, prepared from the reaction of a 1,4-dilithiobutane and the transition metal dihalides react with olefins to produce substituted metallacyclopentanes; the stereochemistry and substitution pattern of the metallocycles formed from propene, octa-1,7-diene, and norbornadiene has been determined.