High-spin iron(II) complexes with mono-phosphorylated 2,6-diaminopyridine ligands

Abstract

Several new monophosphorylated 2,6-diaminopyridine ligands bearing PiPr2 and PtBu2 units (PNNH2-iPr, PNNH2-tBu, PNNHMe-iPr, and PNNHEt-iPr) are prepared by treatment of the respective 2,6-diaminopyridines with the chlorophosphines PiPr2Cl and PtBu2Cl in the presence of a base. Treatment of anhydrous FeCl2 with 1 equiv of these afforded the tetracoordinated coordinatively unsaturated 14e− complexes [Fe(κ2P,N-PNNH2-iPr)Cl2] and [Fe(κ2P,N-PNNH2-tBu)Cl2], while with PNNHMe-iPr and PNNHEt-iPr a phosphine transfer reaction of a second PN ligand took place to yield the known PNP pincer complexes [Fe(κ3P,N,P-PNPMe-iPr)Cl2] and [Fe(κ3P,N,P-PNPEt-iPr)Cl2]. The four-coordinate complexes [Fe(κ2P,N-PNNH2-iPr)Cl2] and [Fe(κ2P,N-PNNH2-tBu)Cl2] did not react with CO and the formation of iron PNC pincer complexes was not observed. The reason for the reluctance to add CO was investigated in detail by DFT calculations.