Unusual Iron(II) and Cobalt(II) Complexes Derived from Monodentate Arylamido Ligands^#

The coordination chemistry of the N-substituted arylamido ligands [N(R)(C₆H₃R‘₂-2,6)] [R = SiMe₃, R‘ = Me (L¹); R = CH₂Bu^t, R‘ = Prⁱ (L²)] toward Fe^II and Co^II ions was studied. The monoamido complexes [M(L¹)(Cl)(tmeda)] [M = Fe (1), Co (2)] react readily with MeLi, affording the mononuclear, paramagnetic iron(II) and cobalt(II) methyl−arylamido complexes [M(L¹)(Me)(tmeda)] [M = Fe (3), Co (4)]. Treatment of 2:1 [Li(L²)(THF)₂]/FeCl₂ affords the unusual two-coordinate iron(II) bis(arylamide) [Fe(L²)₂] (5).