The carbonyls M(CO)6 (M=Cr, Mo, W) react with cis-(CH3)2AsC(CF3)=C(CF3)As(CH3)2 (L—L) to give the chelate derivatives (L—L)M(CO)4. These react with excess (L—L) on ultraviolet irradiation affording cis-(L—L)2M(CO)2 and trans-(L—L)2M(CO)2 and two isomers of fac-(L—L)2M(CO)3 where one (L—L) is acting as a monodentate ligand, and is either the cis ligand or its trans isomer.