The Iron Hydrido Complex [FeH(dppe)2]+: Solution and Solid-State Reactivity with Dinitrogen

The blue compound [FeH(dppe)2]BPh4 (1) (dppe = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane) is investigated by optical absorption, vibrational, NMR and Mossbauer spectroscopy as well as magnetic susceptibility measurements. In the solid state, 1 is found to be paramagnetic (S=1) whereas in tetrahydrofuran (thf) solution it is diamagnetic. Importantly, 1 reacts with dinitrogen in thf solution and in the solid state to give the yellow and green dinitrogen complexes 2a and 2b, respectively, both of which have the formula [FeH(N2)(dppe)2]BPh4. Apart from their colour and optical spectroscopic properties, the dinitrogen compounds 2a and 2b also differ in their magnetic, Mossbauer and vibrational properties…