Structural observation of bis(diphenylphosphino)methane reactivity at a di-iron centre: crystal structures of isomeric [Fe2(CO)5(µ-CHCHCO){µ-P(Ph2)CH2PPh2}], [Fe2(CO)6{µ-C(CH2)P(Ph2)CH2PPH2}], and [Fe2(CO)6{µ-C(CH2Ph)P(Ph2)CH2PPh}]
Abstract
X-Ray diffraction studies have elucidated the molecular rearrangements involved in the fluxionality of the complex [Fe2(CO)5(µ-CHCHCO){µ-P(Ph2)CH2PPh2}] and in its isomerisation, via migration of one phosphorus of the bis(diphenylphosphino)methane ligand from iron to carbon, to give [Fe2(CO)6{µ-C(CH2)P(Ph2)CH2PPh2}], which in turn isomerises through phenyl migration from phosphorus to carbon, yielding [Fe2(CO)6{µ-C(CH2Ph)P(Ph2)CH2PPh}].