PhCH₂Re(CO)₅ reacted with 1,4-diaryl-1-azabutadienes to give cyclometallated (η²-(C,N)-azabutadiene)Re(CO)₄ (4) together with the substituted derivatives (η¹-(N)-azabutadiene)(η²-(C,N)-azabutadiene)Re(CO)₃ (6 and 7) The substituted product was shown by NMR and X-ray crystal structure analysis to be an inseparable mixture of isomers differing in the conformation of the η¹-ligand about the N C bond—trans for (6) and cis for (7). Reaction of the mixture of 6 and 7 from 1,4-diphenyl-1-azabutadiene with phenyl acetylene gave η⁵-(1,2,4-triphenyl-1-aza-cyclohexadienyl)Re(CO)₃.