Facile synthesis of (1,2-dihydrobenzoxazol-2-ylidene)tetracarbonyliron complexes from 2-trimethylsiloxyphenyl isocyanide

Reaction of 2-trimethylsiloxyphenyl isocyanide 3 with Fe(CO)5 and subsequent cleavage of the Si–O bond gives (1,2-dihydrobenzoxazol-2-ylidene)tetracarbonyliron 6, the structure of which has been determined by X-ray crystallography; complex 6 can be alkylated at the ring nitrogen yielding (N-methyl-1,2-dihydrobenzoxazol-2-ylidene)tetracarbonyliron 7.