Synthesis and characterisation of complexes of Group 13 metal amidinate heterocycles with the CpFe(CO)2 fragment

Abstract

The first examples of complexes between a 4-membered amidinato–Group 13 metal(III) heterocycle and a transition metal fragment are formed in salt elimination reactions between Na[CpFe(CO)₂] and [MX₂(amid)], M = Al, Ga or In; X = Cl or Br; amid⁻ = [(RN)₂CBu^t]⁻; R = Prⁱ or cyclohexyl (Cy). The formed complexes, [CpFe(CO)₂M(X)(amid)] (4 examples) have been crystallographically characterised and subject to halide abstraction reactions. In one case, the cationic complex, [CpFe(CO)₂Ga(OEt₂){(CyN)₂CBu^t}][BAr^f₄], was isolated and crystallographically characterised. A hydrolysis product of this complex, [{CpFe(CO)₂Ga[(CyN)₂CBu^t]}₂(µ-OH)][BAr^f₄], was also isolated in low yield from this reaction and structurally characterised.