Synthesis, crystal structure and electrochemical study of (μ-κ2C:κ2S-NHC+-CS)[Fe2(CO)6]- generated from the reaction of NHC+-CS2- with Fe3(CO)12

Reaction of zwitterionic salt NHC+-CS2- (1), prepared from 1,3-diallylbenzimidazol-2-ylidene and CS2, with Fe-3(CO)(12) affords 2, (mu-kappa C-2:kappa S-2-NHC+-CS)[Fe-2(CO)(6)](-). Two new compounds have been fully characterized by EA, IR, H-1 NMR and C-13 NMR spectroscopy and structurally determined by X-ray crystallography. Electrochemical study of 2 has demonstrated that using HOAc as a proton source complex 2 can efficiently catalyze H-2 production. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.