The formation of iron carbonyl radical anions in the reactions of iron carbonyls with trimethylamine N-oxide

摘要

The interaction of iron carbonyls. Fe(CO)_5, Fe_2(CO)_9 and Fe_3(CO)_(12) with Me_3NO occurs according to a one-electron redoxdisproportionation scheme giving rise to iron carbonyl radical anions: Fe(Co)_8~(centre dot -) (1), Fe_3(CO)_(12)~(centre dot -) (2), Fe_3(CO)_(11)~(centre dot -) (3) and Fe_4(CO)_(13)~(centre dot -) (4). The role of Me_3NO, inducing CO-substitution, consists of the generation of reactive 17-electron species with a labile coordination sphere in which the substitution for other ligands occurs, resulting from fast ligand and electron exchange in the confines of the ETC-reaction.