The tetradentate phosphine
α,α,α‘,α‘-tetrakis(diphenylphosphino)-p-xylene (3, dppx) was
prepared in
two steps from α,α‘-bis(diphenylphosphino)-p-xylene
(1)
via the intermediate trisubstituted phosphine
α,α,α‘-tris(diphenylphosphino)-p-xylene (2). The ligand,
dppx,
reacts with Fe2(CO)9 to afford a bridging
bischelated
complex
Fe(CO)3(dppx)Fe(CO)3
(4), which was characterized by X-ray diffraction. Complex 4 crystallized
in
the monoclinic space group P21/n,
a = 11.903(1) Å, b =
15.295(2) Å, c = 15.415(1) Å, β =
96.306(9)°, V = 2789.5(8)Å3, Z = 2, R = 0.072, and
R
w = 0.079.