Kinetics and mechanism of acetylacetonate transfer from acetylacetonatomanganese(III) to iron(III) in acetonitrile catalysis and inhibition effects

The reaction between tris(acetylacetonato)magnanese(III) and hexa(N,N-dimethylformamide)iron(III) perchlorate in acetonitrile proceeds in two stages. The first stage corresponds to the reaction of pentacoordinated Fe(DMF) with Mn(acac)₃, and the rate-determining step of the second stage consists mainly in the elimination of a DMF ligand from Fe(DMF) to yield Fe(DMF) which reacts rapidly with the manganese complex. The formation of Fe(DMF) is catalyzed by Mn(acac)₃, this catalytic effect being decreased by manganese products. The rate-determining step for the formation of Fe(acac)₃ is the transfer of the first acetylacetonate to yield Fe(acac)²⁺. The final products of iron depend on the ratio of reactant concentrations. With Mn or Fe in excess, Fe(acac)₃ or Fe(acac)²⁺ are mainly produced.