SYNTHESIS OF A DONOR-STABILIZED SILYL(SILYLENE)IRON COMPLEX - DIRECT OBSERVATION OF 1,3-METHYL MIGRATION FROM SILYL TO SILYLENE LIGANDS

Photolysis of CpFe(CO)(2)SiMe(2)SiMe(3) (Cp* = eta-C(5)Me(5)) in the presence of HMPA (HMPA = (Me(2)N)(3)PO) afforded a donorstabilized sil yl(silylene)iron complex, Cp(OC)Fe(=SiMe(2) . HMPA)SiMe(3), almost qu antitatively. Variable temperature H-1 NMR investigation for solutions of the trimethylsilyl (dimethylsilylene) iron complex allowed the dir ect observation of 1,3-methyl migration from the silpl ligand to the s ilylene ligand. Ilis proposed that 1,3-migration may be a general phen omenon which prevails among compounds with R(n)E-M=E'R(m) arrangement.