Oxido-bridged di-, tri-, and tetra-nuclear iron complexes bearing bis(trimethylsilyl)amide and thiolate ligands

A series of di-, tri-, and tetra-nuclear iron-oxido clusters with bis(trimethylsilyl)amide and thiolate ligands were synthesized from the reactions of Fe{N(SiMe(3))(2)}(2) (1) with 1 equiv of thiol HSR (R = C(6)H(5) (Ph), 4-(t)BuC(6)H(4), 2,6-Ph(2)C(6)H(3) (Dpp), 2,4,6-(i)Pr(3)C(6)H(2) (Tip)) and subsequent treatment with O(2). The trinuclear clusters {(Me(3)Si)(2)N}Fe](3)(μ(3)-O){μ-S(4-RC(6)H(4))}(3) (R = H (3a), (t)Bu (3b)) were obtained from the reactions of 1 with HSPh or HS(4-(t)BuC(6)H(4)) and O(2), while we isolated a tetranuclear cluster {(Me(3)Si)(2)N}(2)Fe(2)(μ-SDpp)](2)(μ(3)-O)(2) (4) as crystals from an analogous reaction with HSDpp. Treatment of a tertrahydrofuran (THF) solution of 1 with HSTip and O(2) resulted in the formation of a dinuclear complex {(Me(3)Si)(2)N}(TipS)(THF)Fe](2)(μ-O) (5). The molecular structures of these complexes have been determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis.