Synthesis and elaboration of the dinuclear iron-imide cluster core [Fe2(mu-NR)2]2+

The protolysis of mononuclear ferric amide precursors FeCl[N(SiMe3)2]2(THF) (1) or [FeCl2{N(SiMe3)2}2]- (2) by primary amines provides, under suitable conditions, an effective route to dinuclear weak-field ferric-imide clusters with [Fe2(mu-NR)2]2+ cores. In the synthesis of known arylimide clusters [Fe2(mu-NAr)2Cl4]2- (Ar = Ph, p-Tol, Mes) from 2, the counterion has a major effect on selectivity and yield, and the use of quaternary ammonium salts affords a substantial improvement over earlier, Li+-based chemistry. The new tert-butylimide core is obtained by protolysis of 1 with excess tBuNH2 to give crystalline cis-Fe2(mu-NtBu)2Cl2(NH2tBu)2 (9). Complex 9 can be transformed to other dinuclear species through substitution of the terminal amines by pyridines, PEt3, or chloride, or through protolysis of bridging alkylimides by arylamines, allowing isolation of trans-Fe2(mu-NtBu)2Cl2(DMAP)2 (DMAP = 4-dimethylaminopyridine), cis-Fe2(mu-NtBu)2Cl2(PEt3)2, [Fe2(mu-NtBu)2Cl4]-, and trans-Fe2(mu-NPh)2Cl2(NH2tBu)2. The susceptibility of alkyl substituents to beta-elimination appears to limit the general applicability of protolytic cluster assembly using alkylamines. The dinuclear clusters have been characterized by X-ray, spectroscopic, and electrochemical analyses.