The reactions of the
trans-Fe(DMeOPrPE)
2Cl
2 complex (
I; DMeOPrPE = 1,2-bis(bis(methoxypropyl)phosphino)ethane) and its derivatives were studied in aqueous and nonaqueous solvents with a particular emphasis on thebinding and activation of H
2 and N
2. The results show there are distinct differences in the reaction pathwaysbetween aqueous and nonaqueous solvents. In water,
I immediately reacts to form
trans-Fe(DMeOPrPE)
2(H
2O)Cl
+. Subsequent reaction with H
2 or N
2 yields
trans-Fe(DMeOPrPE)
2(X
2)Cl
+ (X
2=H
2 or N
2). In the case of H
2,further reactivity occurs to ultimately give the
trans-Fe(DMeOPrPE)
2(H
2)H
+ product (
III). The pathway for the reaction
I III was spectroscopically examined: following the initial loss of chloride and replacement with H
2, heterolysisof the H
2 ligand occurs to form Fe(DMeOPrPE)
2(H)Cl; substitution of the remaining chloride ligand by another H
2molecule then occurs to produce
trans-Fe(DMeOPrPE)
2(H
2)H
+. In the absence of H
2 or N
2,
trans-Fe(DMeOPrPE)
2(H
2O)Cl
+ slowly reacts in water to form Fe(DMeOPrPE)
32+,
II. Experiments showed that this species forms byreaction of free DMeOPrPE ligand with
trans-Fe(DMeOPrPE)
2(H
2O)Cl
+, where the free DMeOPrPE ligand comesfrom dissociation from the
trans-Fe(DMeOPrPE)
2(H
2O)Cl
+ complex. In nonaqueous solvents, the chloride ligand in
I is not labile, and a reaction with H
2 only occurs if a chloride abstracting reagent is present. Complex
III is a usefulsynthon for the formation of other water-soluble metal hydrides. For example, the
trans-[Fe(DMeOPrPE)
2H(N
2)]
+complex was generated in H
2O by substitution of N
2 for the H
2 ligand in
III. The
trans-Fe(DHBuPE)
2HCl complex(DHBuPE = 1,2-bis(bis(hydroxybutyl)phosphino)ethane, another water-solubilizing phosphine) was shown to be aviable absorbent for the separation of N
2 from CH
4 in a pressure swing scheme. X-ray crystallographic analysis of
II is the first crystal structure report of a homoleptic tris chelate of Fe
II containing bidentate phosphine ligands. Thestructure reveals severe steric crowding at the Fe center.