Synthesis and Characterization of New Pentacoordinate Iron‐Based Aryloxide Complexes

Abstract

AbstractHeterobimetallic lithium–iron coordination compounds are interesting targets for several reasons: they can be used as precursors for mixed metal oxides, as catalysts, for example, for ring‐opening polymerization reactions or to study oxidation/reduction processes. Finally their magnetic properties are also of interest. New heterobimetallic aryloxide complexes, namely [(thf)4Li3Fe(OPh)3(O2C6H4)Cl]2 (1), [{(thf)3Li3Fe(OPh)5Cl}3]n (2), and [(thf)3Li3Fe(OPh)6]2 (3), have been synthesized and characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. While compounds 1 and 3 were synthesized by an oxidative substitution reaction, compound 2 was directly obtained from the FeIII salt. These compounds are accessible by both synthetic pathways. Additionally, in compound 1, the phenoxy ligand was catalytically oxidized to ortho‐catechol, which was incorporated into the structure of 1 as a ligand that coordinates strongly to iron. All compounds feature the FeIII ion with a trigonal, bipyramidal environment, with coordination number 5.