Isocyanide substitution reactions at the trans labile sites of an iron(II) N-heterocyclic carbene complex

Abstract

A variety of isocyanide-substituted Fe(ii) N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes has been synthesized, starting from an Fe(ii) NHC complex with an equatorial, tetradentate bis(pyridyl-NHC) ligand (NCCN). Depending on the relative amount of isocyanide used for the reaction either mono(isocyanide)-substituted or tri(isocyanide)-substituted Fe(ii) complexes are obtained. In the case of the tri-substituted complexes single crystal X-ray diffraction reveals the dissociation of one of the pyridyl moieties of the tetradentate NCCN ligand, inducing a meridional, tridentate NCC coordination. As an intermediate for the formation of the tri-substituted complexes a cis di(CNtBu)-substituted Fe(ii) complex was identified by NMR spectroscopy. The impact of the isocyanide ligands on the electronic structure of the iron complexes was investigated by cyclic voltammetry, showing an increase in the required potential for the oxidation of Fe(ii) to Fe(iii) from 423 mV to up to 1092 mV.