The synthesis and characterization of hydridoborate and
hydridosilicate
iron half-sandwich complexes derived from activation of HBpin with
an N2-bridged dimer [Cp*Fe(1,2-Ph2PC6H4)]2(μ-N2) (1, Cp* = C5Me5
–) are reported.
The reaction appears to proceed by hydroboration of the Fe-based metallacycle
to give a 16-electron iron(II)-hydride intermediate, presumably Cp*FeH(Ph2PC6H4Bpin), which is able to capture
a HBpin or H2SiPhR (R = Ph or H) molecule through Fe-H
cooperation, resulting in Cp*Fe(η3-H2Bpin)(Ph2PC6H4Bpin) (2) and Cp*Fe(η3-H2SiHPhR)(Ph2PC6H4Bpin) (R = Ph, 3a; H, 3b) complexes. Density
functional theory calculations showed that those complexes exhibit
intriguing Fe–H–E nonclassical features (E = B or Si),
and the nature of Fe-η3-H2E interactions
can be rationalized as unusual hydrido-borane and -silane complexes,
that is, (H)Fe-η2-H–E. This has been shown
by straightforward substitution of the HBpin moiety of hydridoborate
with silane, affording hydridosilicate complexes.