Formation of Six-membered Aza-nickelacycles by Oxidative Addition of Cyclopropyl Imines to Nickel(0)

Cyclopropyl imines reacted with nickel(0) in the presence of IPr to give the expected six-membered aza-nickelacycles confirmed by X-ray crystallography. The molecular structure of aza-nickelacyles shows monomeric eta(1)-aza-nickelenolate structures. The reaction of aza-nickelacycle with an enone occurred to generate an eta(3)-oxa-allylnickel complex.