Density functional investigation and bonding analysis of pentacoordinated iron complexes with mixed cyano and carbonyl ligands

The equilibrium structures and vibrational frequencies of the iron complexes Fe⁰(CN)_n(CO)_5?n]^n? and Fe^II(CN)_n(CO)_5?n]^2?n (n = 0–5) have been calculated at the BP86 level of theory. The Fe⁰ complexes adopt trigonal bipyramidal structures with the cyano ligands occupying the axial positions, whereas corresponding Fe²⁺ complexes adopt square pyramidal structures with the cyano ligands in the equatorial positions. The calculated geometries and vibrational frequencies of the mixed iron Fe⁰ carbonyl cyanide complexes are in a very good agreement with the available experimental data. The nature of the Fe? CN and Fe? CO bonds has been analyzed with both charge decomposition and energy partitioning analysis. The results of energy partitioning analysis of the Fe? CO bonds shows that the binding interactions in Fe⁰ complexes have 50–55% electrostatic and 45–50% covalent character, whereas in Fe²⁺ 45–50% electrostatic and 50–55% covalent character. There is a significant contribution of the π‐ orbital interaction to the Fe? CO covalent bonding which increases as the number of the cyano groups increases, and the complexes become more negatively charged. This contribution decreases in going from Fe⁰ to Fe²⁺ complexes. Also, this contribution correlates very well with the C? O stretching frequencies. The Fe? CN bonds have much less π‐character (12–30%) than the Fe? CO bonds. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2010