Carbonyl substitution of the dicobalt-iron complex (μ3-S)FeCo2(CO)9 with monophosphane or diphosphane ligands

Eight new dicobalt-iron clusters have been synthesised and structurally characterized. Treatment of (μ₃-S)FeCo₂(CO)₉ (A) with monophosphane ligands tris(4-fluorophenyl)phosphane, tris(4-methoxyphenyl)phosphane, or tris(2-furyl)phosphane in the presence of Me₃NO∙2H₂O afforded monosubstituted complexes (μ₃-S)FeCo₂(CO)₈L [L = P(4-C₆H₄F)₃, 1; P(4-C₆H₄OMe)₃, 3; P(2-C₄H₃O)₃, 5] and disubstituted complexes (μ₃-S)FeCo₂(CO)₇L₂ [L = P(4-C₆H₄F)₃, 2; P(4-C₆H₄OMe)₃, 4; P(2-C₄H₃O)₃, 6]. Reaction of complex A with Ph₂PN[CH(CH₃)₂]PPh₂ in refluxing toluene gave complex (μ₃-S)FeCo₂(CO)₇{Ph₂PN[CH(CH₃)₂]PPh₂} (7) with an intramolecular bridging diphosphane ligand. Reaction of complex A with trans-1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethylene (trans-dppv) and Me₃NO∙2H₂O yielded complex [(μ₃-S)FeCo₂(CO)₈]₂(trans-Ph₂PCH = CHPPh₂) (8) with an intermolecular bridging diphosphane ligand. The new complexes 1–8 were characterized by elemental analysis, IR, ¹H NMR, ³¹P{¹H} NMR, and ¹³C{¹H} NMR spectroscopy, particularly for 1, 3, and 6–8 by X-ray crystallography.