Stepwise reduction of [Fe4(CO)13]2– by successive methylation and hydrogenation; the X-ray crystal structure of [Fe4(CO)12COMe]– and [Fe4H(CO)12COME]
Abstract
The reaction of [Fe4(CO)13]2– with [Me3O][BF4] leads to the reduction of a CO ligand to give [Fe4(CO)12COMe]–, where the COMe ligand µ3-caps a face of the Fe4 tetrahedron; subsequent protonation with HSO3F yields [Fe4H(CO)12COMe], in which the COMe co-ordinates to the Fe4‘butterfly’via C and O atoms; the structures have been confirmed by X-ray analyses.