The crystal and molecular structure of bis(dicarbonyl-π-cyclopentadienyliron)dichlorogermane, Cl2Ge[π-C5H5Fe(CO)2]2

Abstract

The crystal structure of bis(dicarbonyl-π-cyclopentadienyliron)dichlorogermane has been elucidated by an X-ray analysis based on photographic data. The space-group C2/c here requires that the molecular symmetry in the crystal is 2 (C₂). The tetrahedral valencies of the Ge atom show distortions such as to reduce the Cl–Ge–Cl angle to 96° and enlarge the Fe–Ge–Fe angle to 128°, though the planes defined by these two angles remain mutually perpendicular. About each iron atom the configuration of the bonds is octahedral if, as is customary, the cyclopentadienyl ring is considered to be a terdentate ligand. The length of the Ge–Fe bond is 2·36 Å and of the Ge–Cl bond 2·26 Å, while the mean values of the Fe–C_carbonyl, Fe–C_{cyclopentadienyl}, and C–O distances are 1·74, 2·09, and 1·17 Å, respectively.