A Simple, Air Stable Single-Ion Source of Iron(I)

Area of Science:

• Inorganic chemistry
• Organometallic chemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Iron complexes in the +1 oxidation state show promise as catalysts for chemical transformations, offering a sustainable alternative to noble metals.
• Accessing iron(I) compounds typically requires strong reducing agents, limiting their synthetic utility and availability.
• A stable, readily accessible iron(I) starting material is crucial for expanding its catalytic applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize a stable iron(I) arene complex, [Fe(durene)2]+, as a versatile precursor.
• To demonstrate the utility of this precursor for accessing a library of iron(I) compounds without using reductants.
• To showcase the potential of this iron(I) source for in situ catalyst generation and high-throughput experimentation.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of the air-stable iron(I) arene complex [Fe(durene)2]+.
• Characterization of the synthesized complex using spectroscopic and analytical techniques.
• Reactivity studies to demonstrate modular synthesis of various iron(I) compounds and in situ catalyst generation.

Main Results:

• The air-stable iron(I) arene complex [Fe(durene)2]+ was successfully synthesized and characterized.
• This complex serves as a single-source precursor, enabling the modular synthesis of diverse iron(I) compounds, including novel ones.
• The precursor was effectively used for in situ generation of highly active iron(I) catalysts, demonstrating its catalytic potential.

Conclusions:

• [Fe(durene)2]+ is the first stable synthetic starting point for iron(I) chemistry.
• This breakthrough circumvents the need for strong reducing agents, simplifying access to iron(I) compounds.
• The developed precursor offers significant potential for advancing iron-based catalysis and high-throughput screening.