Evidence for Equilibration of 1,3-Alkyl Migration in Silyl(silylene)iron Intermediates

Photolysis of deuteriomethyl-substituted disilanyliron complex CpFe(CO)2Si2Me5−m(CD3)m (m = 1, 2) resulted in the formation of a mixture of silyliron complexes CpFe(CO)2SiMe3−n(CD3)n (n = 0–m). Distribution of the produced silyliron complexes indicates that the reaction accompanies alkyl scrambling between two silicon atoms and the scrambling is fast enough to attain an equilibrium.