Transformations of alkynyl ligands at iron centres: alkenyl formation via addition of PPh3 and enyne generation via head-to-head coupling and addition of benzene

Thermolysis of Fe-2(CO)(6)(mu-PPh2)(mu-C2But) affords the binuclear alkenyl complex Fe-2(CO)(5)(mu-PPh2)(mu-o-Ph2PC6H4C=CHBut) and the trinuclear aren e complex Fe-3(CO)(4)(mu(3)-o-PhPC6H4PPh){mu(3)-C(Bu-t)CCH=CBut-eta(6)-C6H5 } both resulting from a number of novel transformations including C-C bond formation and C-H and C-P bond cleavage and reformation.