Self-assembly and redox modulation of the cavity size of an unusual rectangular iron thiolate aryldiisocyanide metallocyclophane.

The decarbonylation reaction of ferric carbonyl dicationic Cp(2)Fe(2)(μ-SEt)(2)(CO)(2)(2) [1(BF(4))(2)] carried out in refluxing acetonitrile affords a binuclear iron-sulfur core complex Cp(2)Fe(2)(μ-SEt)(2)(CH(3)CN)(2)(2) [2(BF(4))(2)] containing two acetonitrile coordinated ligands. The treatment of 2(BF(4))(2) with 2 equiv of the 1,4-diisocyanobenzene (1,4-CNC(6)H(4)NC) results in the formation of the diisocyanide complex Cp(2)Fe(2)(μ-SEt)(2)(1,4-CNC(6)H(4)NC)(2)(2) [3(BF(4))(2)]. The rectangular tetranuclear iron thiolate aryldiisocyanide metallocyclophane complex Cp(4)Fe(4)(μ-SEt)(4)(μ-1,4-CNC(6)H(4)NC)(2)(4) [4(BF(4))(4)] has been synthesized by a self-assembly reaction between equimolar amounts of 2(BF(4))(2) and 1,4-diisocyanobenzene or by a stepwise route involving mixing of a 1:1 molar ratio of complexes 2(BF(4))(2) and 3(BF(4))(2). Chemical reduction of 4(BF(4))(4) by KC(8) was observed to produce the reduction product 4(BF(4))(2). The spectroscopic and electrochemical properties of the iron-sulfur core complexes 1(PF(6))(2), 3(BF(4))(2), 4(BF(4))(4), and 4(BF(4))(2) were determined. Finally, differences between the redox control cavities of rectangular tetranuclear iron thiolate aryldiisocyanide complexes are revealed by a comparison of the X-ray crystallographically determined structures of complexes 4(BF(4))(4) and 4(BF(4))(2).