Preparation of cyclopentadiene metal compounds

Claim 1

PROCESS FOR PREPARING A CYCLOPENTADIENE METAL COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF CYCLOPENTADIENYL COBALT CYCLOPENTADIENES, CYCLOPENTADIENYL IRIDIUM CYCLOPENTADIENES, CYCLOPENTADIENYL RHODIUM CYCLOPENTADIENES, AND BIS(CYCLOPENTADIENE) NICKELS WHEREIN THE CYCLOPENTADIENE AND CYCLOPENTADIENYL GROUPS ARE HYDROCARBON GROUPS HAVING FROM 5 TO ABOUT 13 CARBON ATOMS; SAID PROCESS COMPRISING REACTING THE CORRESPONDING NEUTRAL BIS(CYCLOPENTADIENYL) METAL COMPOUND AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF ABOUT -20*C. TO ABOUT 100*C. WITH A REDUCING AGENT SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF A. ALKALI METALS, ALKALI METAL AMALGAMS AND SIMPLE AND COMPLEX ALKALI METAL HYDRIDES, WHEREIN SAID PROCESS IS CONDUCTED IN THE PRESENCE OF A HYDROLYTIC SOLVENT AND B. HYDROGEN, IN THE PRESENCE OF A CATALYTIC QUANTITY OF A CATALYST SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF RANEY NICKEL, PLATINUM, PALLADIUM AND COPPER CHROMITE, WHERIN SAID PROCESS IS CONDUCTED IN THE PRESENCE OF A SOLVENT SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF HYDROLYTIC AND NON-HYDROLYTIC SLVENTS.