A 3:1 molar ratio mixture of [(η5-C5H4Me)4Fe4(HCCBr)2](PF6) (1a) and [(η5-C5H4Me)4Fe4(HCCH)(BrCCBr)](PF6) (1b) was converted to [(η5-C5H4Me)4Fe4(μ3-CH)2(μ3-CNPh)2](PF6)2 (2) upon treatment with aniline,
followed by N
i
Pr2Et and finally
[Cp2Fe](PF6). The X-ray diffraction analysis
revealed that 2 can be described as a cubane-type tetrairon
cluster possessing two μ3-CH and two μ3-isonitrile ligands. Treatment of 2 with 2.5
equiv of [Cp2Co] gave the neutral form 3,
formulated as [(η5-C5H4Me)4Fe4(HCCH)2(μ3-CNPh)2]. The redox reactions were chemically reversible; treatment
of 3 with [Cp2Fe](PF6) reproduced 2 quantitatively. The structure of 3 was determined
by X-ray diffraction analysis. The molecule exhibits a butterfly geometry
resulting from the scission of one of the iron–iron bonds of
the tetrahedron in 2. In accordance with the conversion
of the core structure from tetrahedron to butterfly, the coupling
of two μ3-CH ligands occurs to form an acetylene
ligand. Further treatment of 3 with LiAlH4 followed by air-oxidation resulted in reductive coupling of two
isonitrile ligands to give a bis(acetylene) cluster, [(η5-C5H4Me)4Fe4(HCCH)2](PF6) (6).
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