Synthesis, characterization and crystal structure determination of iron(III) complexes containing 4,4′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine, dimethyl sulfoxide and chloride, [Fe(dmbipy)Cl4][dmbipyH] and [Fe(dmbipy)Cl3(DMSO)]

[Fe(dmbipy)Cl4][dmbipyH], 1 (dmbipy is 4,4′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine), was prepared from reaction of FeCl3 · 6H2O with 4,4′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine in 0.1 molar aqueous HCl. Treatment of 1 with dimethyl sulfoxide in methanol produced [Fe(dmbipy)Cl3(DMSO)], 2 (DMSO is dimethyl sulfoxide). Both complexes were characterized by IR, UV-vis, and 1H-NMR spectroscopies and their structures were studied by single crystal diffraction. Compounds 1 and 2 are high-spin with spin multiplicity of six.