Reversible intramolecular coupling of the terminal borylene and a carbonyl ligand of [Cp(CO)2Mn=B-tBu].

Cyclic complex 2 with bridging carbonyl ligands was synthesized from a facile and reversible intermolecular carbonyl-borylene ligand coupling reaction at room temperature. Complex 2 exhibits an unprecedented coordination mode for boron-metal complexes, which is also reflected in its remarkable (11)B NMR chemical shift of -57.2 ppm. Findings from spectroscopic, X-ray, and computational studies are presented, along with a proposed mechanism.