Cheap, benign, ready availablity and eco-friendly properties of iron makes it highly desirable for the synthesis of novel complex compounds and their use in the organic transformations. In this context, iron pentacarbonyl proves to be very promising in the synthesis of many small organic molecules as well as in the construction of several metal cluster complexes where alkynes have been used as coordinating unit.            Photolytic reaction of 2-(phenylethynyl)benzaldehyde and Fe(CO)5 results in a mixture of mononuclear (tricarbonyliron-2-phenylindenone) and binuclear ironcarbonyl complexes. Interestingly, in some of the binuclear complexes, one of the aldehydic oxygen is coordinated to the exocyclic iron in an ?1-fashion, whereas, in case of 2-(ferrocenylethynyl)benzaldehyde, formation of mononuclear tricarbonyliron-2-ferrocenylindenone and ferrole complexes are predominant.            In a different set of reactions of alkynes with isocyanates and CO, in presence of iron pentacarbonyl, formation of maleimides and hydantoins is observed, whereas, reactions with carbodiimides, in place of isocyanates, leads to the formation of 5-iminopyrrolone, a [2+2+1] cyloaddition product.

Distinguished role of iron pentacarbonyl towards complex formation and organic transformations.

246th National Meeting (2013)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.