Thermal treatment of
t-BuC5H4Me2SiSiMe2C5H4-t-Bu
with Fe(CO)5 in xylene gave the
diiron complex
(Me2SiSiMe2)[(η5-t-BuC5H3)Fe(CO)]2(μ-CO)2
(3), existing as a mixture of cis
and trans isomers (3c and 3t) which were
separated by preparative TLC. When the two
isomers were heated respectively in xylene, the cis substrate
(3c) rearranged to the trans
product
[Me2Si(η5-t-BuC5H3)Fe(CO)2]2
(4t), while the trans substrate (3t) afforded the
cis
product
[Me2Si(η5-t-BuC5H3)Fe(CO)2]2
(4c). This indicates that the rearrangement
reaction
is stereospecific. Complexes
[(η5:η5-C5H4Me2SiSiMe2C5R3R‘)Fe(CO)]2(μ-CO)2
(R = H, R‘ =
t-Bu, 5; R = R‘ = Me, 6),
containing different cyclopentadienyl groups, were
prepared
similarly. Their respective rearrangement reactions only yielded
the corresponding unsymmetrical products
[(Me2Si)(η5-C5H4)Fe(CO)2][(Me2Si)(η5-C5R3R‘)Fe(CO)2]
(R = H, R‘ = t-Bu,
7; R = R‘ = Me, 8); no symmetrical
disproportionation products were detected. This
indicates
that the reaction proceeds via an intramolecular rather than
intermolecular pathway. The
conclusion is further confirmed by the fact that no crossover product
was formed in
subsequent rearrangement between two different substrates. Probing
the reaction by ESR
spectroscopy shows that the reaction proceeds via an intermediate
containing iron-centered
radicals. On the basis of these experimental facts, an alternative
mechanism for the
rearrangement reaction is proposed. Molecular structures of
3c, 3t, 4t, and 4c
were
determined by X-ray diffraction.