Nitride-bridged triiron complex and its relevance to dinitrogen activation

Using a simple metathesis approach, the triiron(II) tribromide complex Fe3Br3L (1) reacts with tetrabutylammonium azide to afford the monoazide dibromide analogue Fe3(Br)2(N3)L (2) in high yield. The inclusion of azide was confirmed by IR spectroscopy with a ν(N3) = 2082 cm(-1) as well as combustion analysis and X-ray crystallography. Heating 2 in the solid state results in the complete loss of the azide vibration in the IR spectra and the isolation of the olive-green mononitride complex Fe3(Br)2(N)L (3). Solution magnetic susceptibility measurements support that the trimetallic core within 2 is oxidized upon generation of 3 (5.07 vs 3.09 μB). Absorption maxima in the UV-visible-near-IR (NIR) spectra of 2 and 3 support the azide-to-nitride conversion, and a broad NIR absorption centered at 1117 nm is similar to that previously reported for the intervalence charge-transfer band for a mixed-valent nitridodiiron cluster. The cyclic voltammograms recorded for 3 are comparable to those of 1 with no reductive waves observed between ∼0 and -2.5 V (vs Fc/Fc(+)), whereas a reversible one-electron redox process is observed for Fe3(NH2)3L (4). These results suggest that intercluster cooperativity is unlikely to predominate the dinitrogen reduction mechanism when 1 is treated with KC8 under N2.