Preparation and reactivity of mixed-ligand iron(II) hydride complexes with phosphites and polypyridyls.

Hydride complexes [FeH(N-N)P3]BPh4 (1, 2) [N-N = 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy) and 1,10-phenanthroline (phen); P = P(OEt)4, PPh(OEt)2, and PPh2OEt] were prepared by allowing FeCl2(N-N) to react with phosphite in the presence of NaBH4. The hydrides [FeH(bpy)2P]BPh4 (3) [P = P(OEt)3 and PPh(OEt)2] were prepared by reacting the tris(2,2'-bipyridine) [Fe(bpy)3]Cl2.5H2O complex with the appropriate phosphite in the presence of NaBH4. The protonation reaction of 1 and 2 with acid was studied and led to thermally unstable (above -20 degrees C) dihydrogen [Fe(eta2-H2)(N-N)P3]2+ (4, 5) derivatives. The presence of the H2 ligand is indicated by short T(1 min) values (3.1-3.6 ms) and by J(HD) measurements (31.2-32.5 Hz) of the partially deuterated derivatives. Carbonyl Fe(CO)(bpy)[P(OEt)3]32 (6) and nitrile Fe(CH3CN)(N-N)P32 (7, 8) [N-N = bpy, phen; P = P(OEt)3 and PPh(OEt)2] complexes were prepared by substituting the H2 ligand in the eta2-H2 4, 5 derivatives. Aryldiazene complexes Fe(ArN=NH)(N-N)P32 (9, 10, 11) (Ar = C6H5, 4-CH3C6H4) were also obtained by allowing hydride [FeH(N-N)P3]BPh4 derivatives to react with aryldiazonium cations in CH2Cl2 at low temperature.