Synthesis,structures, and electrocatalytic properties of phosphine-monodentate, −chelate,and -bridge diiron 2,2-dimethylpropanedithiolate complexes related to [FeFe]-hydrogenases

To further extend diiron subsite models of FeFe]-hydrogenases, the various substitutions of all-carbonyl diiron complex Fe₂(μ-Me₂pdt)(CO)₆ ( A , Me₂pdt = (SCH₂)₂CMe₂) with monophosphines or small bite-angle diphosphines are studied as follows. Firstly, the monodentate complexes Fe₂(μ-Me₂pdt)(CO)₅{κ¹-P(C₆H₄R-p)₃} R = Me ( 1a ) and Cl ( 1b )] and Fe₂(μ-Me₂pdt)(CO)₅{κ¹-Ph₂PX'} X' = NHPh ( 2a ) and CH₂PPh₂ ( 2b )] are readily afforded through the Me₃NO-assisted reactions of A with monophosphines P(C₆H₄R-p)₃ (R = Me, Cl) and diphosphines (Ph₂P)₂X (X = NPh, CH₂ (dppm)) in MeCN at room temperature, respectively. Secondly, the chelate complexes Fe₂(μ-Me₂pdt)(CO)₄(κ²-(Ph₂P)₂X) X = NPh ( 3a ) and NBuⁿ ( 3b )] can be efficiently prepared by the UV-irradiated reactions of A with small bite-angle diphosphines (Ph₂P)₂X (X = NPh, NBuⁿ) in toluene. Thirdly, the bridge complexes Fe₂(μ-Me₂pdt)(CO)₄(μ-(Ph₂P)₂X) X = NPh ( 4a ) and CH₂ ( 4b )] are well obtained from the refluxing solutions of A and diphosphines (Ph₂P)₂X (X = NPh, CH₂) in xylene. Rarely, the diphosphine-bridge complex 4b may be produced in low yield via the UV-irradiated solutions of A and the dppm ligand in toluene emitting at 365 nm. Eight new complexes obtained above have been well characterized by using element analysis, FT-IR, NMR (¹H, ³¹P) spectroscopies, and particularly for 1a , 1b , 2a , 3b , 4a , 4b by X-ray crystallography. Meanwhile, the electrochemical and electrocatalytic properties of three representative complexes 2a , 3a , and 4a with pendant N-phenyl groups are investigated and compared by using cyclic voltammetry (CV) in the absence and presence of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) as a proton source, indicating that they are all found to be active for electrocatalytic proton reduction to hydrogen (H₂).