INSERTION OF MERCURY INTO IRON-IODINE BONDS LEADING TO DINUCLEAR (FE-HG) MIXED ISONITRILE-PHOSPHINE COMPLEXES

The binuclear complexes trans-[Fe(Hg(I)2)(PPh(3))(CNR)(4)](R = Ph, 4-MeC(6)H(4), or (t)Bu), trans-[Fe(HgI2)(dppm-P)(CNR)(4)] (R = Ph or 4-MeC(6)H(4)), and mer-[Fe(HgI2)(dppe)(CNR)(3)] (R = Ph or 4-MeC(6)H(4)) were obtained by the reaction of metallic mercury with [FeI2(CNR)(6)] in the presence of phosphines such as PPh(3), Ph(2)PCH(2)PPh(2) (dppm) and Ph(2)PCH(2)CH(2)PPh(2) (dppe); this process yields adducts of the Lewis acid HgI2 with the metallic bases ''FeL(CNR)(4)'' (L= PPh(3) or dppmp) or ''Fe(dppe)(CNR)(3)''. Spectroscopic data and conductivity measurements suggest a sequence for the strength of these metallic fragments acting as bases.