Ligand effects on the electrochemical behavior of [Fe2(CO)5(L){μ-(SCH2)2(Ph)P=O}] (L = PPh3, P(OEt)3) hydrogenase model complexes

Dalton Trans. 2015 Apr 28;44(16):7177-89. doi: 10.1039/c5dt00064e.

Abstract

In this paper we study the influence of substituting one CO ligand in [Fe2(CO)6{μ-(SCH2)2(Ph)P=O}] (1) by better σ-donor L ligands affording [Fe2(CO)5(L){μ-(SCH2)2(Ph)P=O}] {L = PPh3 (2) and P(OEt)3 (3)} in relation to the steric interactions and the voltammetric behavior. Cyclic voltammetric investigations under N2 and CO showed remarkable differences in the electrochemical behaviour of complexes 2 and 3: (i) Complex 2 tends to expel PPh3 upon reduction whereas complex 3 exhibits chemical reversibility and (ii) Under CO, complex 3 reacts with CO affording a new compound P, which shows a reversible wave at E1/2 ∼ -0.9 V (vs. ferrocenium/ferrocene couple). The presence of CO assists the formation of 1 after electrochemically induced loss of PPh3 during the voltammetric experiment of 2. Using DFT calculations we provide an explanation for the difference in stabilities between the Fe-PPh3 and Fe-P(OEt)3 bonds.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Carbon Monoxide / chemistry
  • Coordination Complexes / chemical synthesis
  • Coordination Complexes / chemistry*
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Electrochemical Techniques
  • Ferric Compounds / chemistry*
  • Hydrogenase / chemistry
  • Hydrogenase / metabolism
  • Iron-Sulfur Proteins / chemistry
  • Iron-Sulfur Proteins / metabolism
  • Ligands*
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Stereoisomerism

Substances

  • Coordination Complexes
  • Ferric Compounds
  • Iron-Sulfur Proteins
  • Ligands
  • Carbon Monoxide
  • iron hydrogenase
  • Hydrogenase