XAS characterization of a nitridoiron(IV) complex with a very short Fe-N bond.

X-ray absorption spectroscopy has been used to characterize the novel nitridoiron(IV) units in two [PhBPR3]Fe(N) complexes (R=iPr and CyCH2) and obtain direct spectroscopic evidence for a very short Fe-N distance. The distance of 1.51-1.55 A reflects the presence of an FeN triple bond in accord with the observed FeN vibration observed for one of these species (nuFeN=1034 cm(-1)). This highly covalent bonding interaction results in the appearance of an unusually intense pre-edge peak, whose estimated area of 100(20) units is much larger than those of the related tetrahedral complexes with FeI-N2-FeI, FeII-NPh2, and FeIIINAd motifs, and those of recently described six-coordinate FeVN and FeVIN complexes. The observation that the FeIV-N distances of two [PhBPR3]Fe(N) complexes are shorter than the FeIV-O bond lengths of oxoiron(IV) complexes may be rationalized on the basis of the greater pi basicity of the nitrido ligand than the oxo ligand and a lower metal coordination number for the Fe(N) complex.