Ironcarbonyl complexes from N-(2-thienylmethylidene)benzylamines: endo as well as exo cyclometalation and alkyl exchange

The reaction of methyl substituted N-(2-thienylmethylidene)benzylamine (1) with Fe-2(CO)(9) in benzene gives endo cyclometalated (mu-eta':eta (2)-thie nyl; eta':eta'(N))hexacarbonyldiiron complexes (2 and 5), exo cyclometalate d (mu-eta':eta (2)-phenyl;eta':eta'(N))hexacarbonyldiiron complexes (3 and 6) and/or imidoyl triironnonacarbonyl cluster (4), in accordance with the p osition of methyl substituent(s). In complex 3. the thienyl unit of the ori ginal Schiff base has been replaced by a phenyl group, which comes from the same Schiff base. The X-ray structure analyses were carried out on complex es 2a, 2b, 2c and 3a. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.