Kinetics and mechanism of the oxidative addition of cyanogen to [Ni(CO)2(PPh3)2]

The complex [Ni(CO)2(PPh3)2], (1), reacts with C2N2 in toluene, at 30.0-44.5 \ub0C, to give trans-[Ni(CN)2(PPh3)2], (2), which crystallizes as a clathrate containing 1 mol of C2N2. The reaction mechanism postulated involves preliminary carbon monoxide dissociation from complex (1), followed by competitive cyanogen attack on the three-co-ordinate [Ni(CO)(PPh3)2] intermediate and subsequent oxidative addition