Synthesis,characterization, and electrochemistry of phosphine-substituted diiron butane-1,2-dithiolate complexes

Abstract

The reactions of the starting complex, [Fe₂(CO)₆{μ-SCH₂CH (CH₂CH₃)S}] (1), with the phosphine ligands tris(4-methylphenyl)phosphine, diphenyl-2-pyridylphosphine, tris(4-fluorophenyl)phosphine, 2-(diphenylphosphino)benzaldehyde, or benzyldiphenylphosphine in the presence of the decarbonylating agent Me₃NO·2H₂O yielded the corresponding phosphine-substituted diiron butane-1,2-dithiolate complexes [Fe₂(CO)₅(L){μ-SCH₂CH(CH₂CH₃)S}] (L?=?P(4-C₆H₄CH₃)₃, 2; Ph₂P(2-C₅H₄N), 3; P(4-C₆H₄F)₃, 4; Ph₂P(2-C₆H₄CHO), 5; Ph₂PCH₂Ph, 6) in 75%–87% yields. The complexes have been characterized by elemental analysis, IR, ¹H, and ³¹P{¹H} NMR spectroscopy, as well as by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Moreover, the electrochemistry of 2–4 was studied by cyclic voltammetry, suggesting that they can catalyze the reduction of protons to H₂ in the presence of HOAc.