Structural and Spectroscopic Characterization of an Electrophilic Iron Nitrido Complex

We have isolated and structurally characterized a terminal iron nitrido complex supported by a bulky tris(carbene)borate ligand. The electronic structure of this complex reveals that the a1 LUMO (formerly Fe(dz2)) is strongly stabilized by reduced antibonding interactions with the carbene sigma-donor ligands and configurational mixing (hybridization) with higher lying Fe 4s and 4p atomic orbitals. This unusual bonding interaction results in a low-lying Fe nitrido acceptor orbital (LUMO) that possesses electrophilic character. Reaction with PPh3 results in nitrogen atom transfer to the phosphine, supporting a reaction mechanism involving nucleophilic attack of the triphenylphosphine HOMO at the electrophilic LUMO of the iron nitrido complex.