Unusual Iron(II) and Cobalt(II) complexes derived from monodentate arylamido Ligands

The coordination chemistry of the N-substituted arylamido ligands [N(R)(C6H3R2'-2,6)] (R = SiMe3, R' = Me (L-1); R = CH2But, R' = Pr-i (L-2)] toward Fe-II and Co-II ions was studied. The monoamido complexes [M(L-1)(Cl)(tmeda)] [M = Fe (1), Co (2)] react readily with MeLi, affording the mononuclear, paramagnetic iron(II) and cobalt(II) rnethyl-arylamido complexes [M(L-1)(Me)(tmeda)] [M = Fe (3), Cc, (4)]. Treatment of 2:1 [Li(L-2) (THF)(2)]/FeCl2 affords the unusual two-coordinate iron(II) bis(arylamide) [Fe(L-2)(2)] (5).