Cyclopentadienone triisocyanide iron complexes: general synthesis and crystal structures of tris(2,6-dimethylphenyl isocyanide)(η4-tetraphenylcyclopentadienone)iron and tris(naphthalen-2-yl isocyanide)(η4-tetraphenylcyclopentadienone)iron acetone hemisolvate

Abstract

Irradiation of a toluene solution containing cyclopentadienone tricarbonyl iron complexes and isocyanides with blue LEDs afforded the formation and isolation of 12 triisocyanide complexes, two of which, namely tris(2,6-dimethylphenyl isocyanide)(η4-tetraphenylcyclopenatedienone)iron, [Fe(C9H9N)3(C29H20O)], and tris(naphthalen-2-yl isocyanide)(η4-tetraphenylcyclopenatedienone)iron acetone hemisolvate, [Fe(C11H7N)3(C29H20O)]2·C3H6O, could be characterized crystallographically. The air-stable compounds were purified by column chromatography and were characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, elemental analysis and HRMS. NMR and XRD data indicate generally more electron-rich Fe0 centers compared to the corresponding tricarbonyl compounds.