Synthesis and reactivity of new heterodinuclear iron/rhenium Cx complexes of the formula (η-C5Me5)Re(NO)(PPh3)(CC)n(η-dppe)Fe(η-C5Me5) (n = 3, 4): Redox properties and a dicobalt hexacarbonyl adduct

We report in this communication the synthesis and characterization of two Fe/Re heterodinuclear complexes 3_n of formula (η⁵-C₅Me₅)Re(NO)(PPh₃)(CC)_n(η²-dppe)Fe(η⁵-C₅Me₅) (n = 3, 4) as well as the hexacarbonyl dicobalt adduct (4) of the hexatriynediyl complex 3₃. We show by cyclic voltammetry that the “electronic communication” between the organometallic endgroups and thereby the thermodynamic stability of the corresponding mixed-valent (MV) parent 3_n⁺ is strongly influenced by bridge extension or by complexation of the [Co₂(CO)₆] fragment. In the case of the hexatriynediyl complex, the MV complex 3₃⁺ or 4 can be isolated by performing the chemical oxidation of 3₃ at low temperature. Spectroscopic studies of this compound and of other stable oxidized redox congeners should now help us to unravel how bridge extension modifies the electronic communication between the different redox-active endgroups in this family of unsymmetrically-substituted polyynediyl compounds.