Formation of the Cationic [(2‐Aminoethenyl)carbine]iron Complexes by Treatment of (2‐Methoxyethenyl)carbene Complexes with Primary Amines:Synthesis and Characterisation

Cationic (2-methoxyethenyl)methoxycarbene iron complexes 2, [Cp(CO)2Fe(C(OMe)CHCR(OMe))+][PF6−], are obtained by the addition of methanol to the corresponding (alkynyl)-methoxycarbene complexes 1, [Cp(CO)2Fe(C(OMe)CCR)+][PF6−]. Primary amines, H2NR', react with these 1,3-dimethoxy-substituted (alkenyl)carbene complexes, 2, through an addition/elimination process to yield cationic (2-aminoethenyl)methoxycarbene iron complexes, 3, [Cp(CO)2Fe(C(OMe)CHCR(NHR'))+][PF6−] in an isolated yield of 71–90%. The complexes 3a–c were characterized by X-ray structural analyses. Thus, previously isolated products, from the reaction, of the (alkynyl)methoxycarbene complexes 1a and 1c, with aniline at room t…