Electrochemistry of phosphaferrocenes: II. Electrochemical behavior of 3,3′,4,4′-tetramethyl-1,1′- diphosphaferrocene bonded to M(CO)5 (M = Cr,Mo, W) fragments forming heterometallic complexes with multiple redox centers

The redox behaviour of a series of heterometallic phosphaferrocenes (hereafter refered to as I, II and III) has been studied in propylene carbonate containing 0.1 M (C₂H₅)₄N⁺ ClO₄^? both mercury and platinum electrodes.Complex I (DPF) undergoes a reversible one-electron reduction. Complexes II and III exhibit the same reversible reduction step and one (species II) or two (species III) additional irreversible reduction step(s) generating M(CO)₅]^? anions (M = Cr, Mo, W).Oxidation of the complexes II and III indicates that fragment I is involved in the first, easiest, oxidation step, whereas further step(s) involve the M(CO)₅ moieties. The redox characteristics of the complexes I, II, III, clearly indicate the absence of cooperation between metallic centers in II and III and the very effective barrier provided by the central iron in moiety I towards mutual effects of both phospholyl rings.