Binding of pi-acceptor ligands to (triamine)iron(II) complexes

A series of (Me3TACN)FeII derivatives with soft coligands have been investigated, where Me3TACN is N,N',N"-trimethyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane. Treatment of Me3TACN with FeCl2 afforded a compound with the empirical formula (Me3TACN)FeCl2 (1). Compound 1, which is a versatile precursor reagent, was shown by single-crystal X-ray diffraction to be the salt [(Me3TACN)2Fe2Cl3][(Me3TACN)FeCl3], containing isolated [(Me3TACN)2Fe2Cl3]+ and [(Me3TACN)FeCl3]- subunits. Treatment of 1 with NaBPh4 gave the known [(Me3TACN)2Fe2Cl3]BPh4, while the addition of Me3TACN to FeCl4(2-) gave [(Me3TACN)FeCl3]-. Oxygenation of 1 afforded [(Me3TACN)FeCl2]2(mu-O), which was shown crystallographically to be centrosymmetric with a pair of distorted octahedral Fe centers. The Fe-N bond trans to the Fe-O bond is elongated by 02 A relative to the other Fe-N distances. Solutions of 1 and thiolates absorb CO to give [(Me3TACN)Fe(SPh)(CO)2]BPh4 and (Me3TACN)Fe(S2C2H4)(CO) (nu CO = 1896 cm-1). Treatment of 1 with excess CN- afforded [(Me3TACN)Fe(CN)3]-, isolated as its PPh4+ salt 5. Crystallographic and spectroscopic studies show that 5 is low spin with a C3v structure; its Fe-N distances contracted by 023 A relative to those in [(Me3TACN)FeCl3]-. Aqueous solutions of 1 bind CO upon the addition of CN- to produce (Me3TACN)Fe(CN)2(CO) (6) Analogous to 6 is (Me3TACN)Fe(CN)2(CNMe), prepared by methylation of 5. The metastable dicarbonyl [(Me3TACN)FeI(CO)2]I was prepared by treatment of FeI2(CO)4 with Me3TACN and was crystallographically characterized as its BPh4- salt. Values of E1/2 for [(Me3TACN)FeCl3]-, 5, and 6 are -0409, -0640, and 0533 V vs Fc/Fc+, respectively.