Unusual reactions of a cationic carbyne complex of manganese with carbonyliron dianions to form a novel dimetal carbene-bridged complex [MnFe{mu-C(COEt)Ph}(eta-C5H5)(CO)(5)]

The reaction of [Mn(=CPh)(eta-C5H5)(CO)(2)]BBr4 1 with [NEt(4)](2)[Fe-2(CO)(8)] in tetrahydrofuran at low temperature gave a novel heteronuclear dimetal carbene-bridged complex [MnFe{mu-C(COEt)Ph}(eta-C5H5)(CO)(5)] 3, and a dimetal dicarbene complex [{(OC)(2)(eta-C5H5)Mn(=CPh)}Fe-2(2)(CO)(8)] 4, as well as [Mn(eta-C5H5)-(CO)(3)] 2. The same products, 2 and 3, were obtained from the reaction of 1 with Na-2[Fe(CO)(4)]. The structure of 3 has been established by X-ray crystallography.