Oxidative addition of disulfides to the fragment CpFe(dppe)+: Steric and dielectric medium control on the reaction

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/0022-328X(95)06085-B

Activation of the S-S bond in disulfides by the fragment CpFe(dppe)⁺ produces the oxidized thiolate complexes [CpFe(dppe)-SR]PF₆, R = CH₃, C₃H₇, CH₂-C₆H₅, C₆H₅. With the bulky (^tBu)₂S₂ the unaltered disulfide complex [CpFe(dppe)S₂(^tBu)₂]PF₆ was obtained. The reaction which yields the 17e^- paramagnetic thiolate complexes occurs only in solvents with a high dielectric constant. Formation of diamagnetic [CpFe(dppe)S₂R₂]PF₆ complexes as the first step in the formation of the paramagnetic species [CpFe(dppe-SR]PF₆ is discussed.