Organometallic Reaction Mechanisms

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1. The decomposition of compound A can be accounted by the following mechanisms:

Major products: The bulky Rh-moiety is a good leaving group (show by arrow), which makes the carbonyl carbon quite electron deficient. To compensate that, the double bond comes close to carbonyl carbon and forms a bond (show by arrow). In this way, by metal catalyzed intra-molecular cyclization the pentanone compound is formed, the other product being Rh(PMe3)3Cl.

Minor products: On the other hand, one Me3P group can leave (show by ...