Inorganic Chemistry, Vol.52, No.2, 635-646, 2013
Oxidation and Reduction of Bis(imino)pyridine Iron Dinitrogen Complexes: Evidence for Formation of a Chelate Trianion
Oxidation and reduction of the bis(imino)pyridine iron dinitrogen compound, ((PDI)-P-iPr)FeN2 ((PDI)-P-iPr = 2,6-(2,6-Pr-i(2)-C6H3-N=CMe)(2)C5H3N) has been examined to determine whether the redox events are metal or ligand based. Treatment of ((PDI)-P-iPr)FeN2 with [Cp2Fe][BAr4F] (BAr4F = B(3,5-(CF3)(2)-C6H3)(4)) in diethyl ether solution resulted in N-2 loss and isolation of [((PDI)-P-iPr)Fe(OEt2)][BAr4F]. The electronic structure of the compound was studied by SQUID magnetometry, X-ray diffraction, EPR and zero-field Fe-57 Mossbauer spectroscopy. These data, supported by computational studies, established that the overall quartet ground state arises from a high spin iron(II) center (S-Fe = 2) antiferromagnetically coupled to a bis(imino)pyridine radical anion (S-PDI = 1/2). Thus, the oxidation event is principally ligand based. The one electron reduction product, [Na(15-crown-5)][((PDI)-P-iPr)FeN2], was isolated following addition of sodium naphthalenide to ((PDI)-P-iPr)FeN2 in THF followed by treatment with the crown ether. Magnetic, spectroscopic, and computational studies established a doublet ground state with a principally iron-centered SOMO arising from an intermediate spin iron center and a rare example of trianionic bis(imino)pyridine chelate. Reduction of the iron dinitrogen complex where the imine methyl groups have been replaced by phenyl substituents, ((BPDI)-B-iPr)Fe(N-2)(2) resulted in isolation of both the mono- and dianionic iron dinitrogen compounds, [((BPDI)-B-iPr)FeN2](-) and [((BPDI)-B-iPr)FeN2](2-), highlighting the ability of this class of chelate to serve as an effective electron reservoir to support neutral ligand complexes over four redox states.