The first bidentate phosphanylborohydride:: Synthesis, structure, and reactivity towards [CpFe(CO)2I]

Deprotonation of the phosphane-borane adduct rac/meso-(HP(BH3)(Ph)CH2)(2) (2) with KH provides facile access to the bidentate phosphanylborohydride rac/meso-K-2[(P(BH3)(Ph)CH2)(2)] (3). Treatment of 3 with two equivalents of [CpFe(CO)(2)I] gives the dinuclear complex rac/meso-[(CpFe(CO)(2))(2)-mu-(P(BH3)(Ph)CH2)(2)] (4). Single crystals of the pure diastereomers meso-2, meso-3(thf)(4), and rac-4 have been grown from toluene/pentane, diethyl ether/thf, and benzene/pentane, respectively. The molecular structures of all three compounds have been determined by X-ray crystallography. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.