Sulfinyl-controlled formation of diastereoisomerically pure tricarbonyl(oxadiene)iron(0) complexes and a diastereoisomerically pure tetracarbonyl(alkene)iron(0) complex

Abstract

The sulfonyl and sulfinyl substituted oxadienes [RS(O)_nCHCHC(Me)O; R = Bu^t, Ph; n= 2,1] form stable tricarbonyliron(0) complexes. The sulfinyl complexes formed are diastereoisomerically pure and the relative stereochemistry of the tricarbonyliron(0) unit and the sulfinyl substituent in the products has been determined by an X-ray crystal structure analysis of [Fe⁰{Bu^tS(O)CHCHC(Me)O}(CO)₃]15a. Phenylsulfonylethene and phenylsulfinylethene form stable tetracarbonyliron(0) complexes. The complex formed from phenylsulfinylethene is diastereoisomerically pure and the relative stereochemistry of the tetracarbonyliron(0) unit and the sulfinyl substituent has been determined by an X-ray crystal structure analysis of [Fe⁰{PhS(O)CHCH₂}(CO)₄]18. This reveals evidence for a through-space interaction between the oxygen atom of the sulfinyl substituent and the carbon atom of one of the metal carbonyl ligands. The X-ray crystal structure analysis of [Fe₂(µ-CHCH₂)(µ-SPh)(CO)₆]17, a by-product in the formation of complex 18, is also reported.