Flash Communication : Catching Platinum Red-Handed: Exhaustive Ligand Redistribution at a Tucked-In Iron Complex

Transmetalation conventionally entails the transfer of a single ligand (e.g., aryl, hydride, or alkyl) between two centers. Herein, we demonstrate a 3d-to-5d metal-to-metal transmetalation in which the iron center of an organometallic fulvene complex is formally replaced by platinum, ultimately leaving an iron fragment devoid of ancillary ligands. Representative intermediates, including two trimetallic {Fe2Pt} complexes, were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, providing direct insight into the sequence of metal–carbon bond formation and ligand reorganization underlying this transmetalation.