BENZOYLFORMYL COMPLEXES OF IRON AND MOLYBDENUM

Benzoylformyl complexes CpMo(COCOPh)(CO)3 (1) and CpFe(COCOPh)(CO)2 (2) were prepared by the reactions of [CpMo(CO)3]- and [CpFe(CO)2]- ions with PhCOCOCl, respectively. The single-crystal structure of complex 1 has been determined by X-ray diffraction with crystal data: P2(1)/c, a = 6.674 (3) angstrom, b = 13.301 (4) angstrom, c = 16.903 (6) angstrom, beta = 90.82 (5)-degrees, V = 1500 (1) angstrom3, Z = 4. Least-squares refinement on 894 reflections with I > 2.0 sigma(I) led to R = 0.041, R(w) = 0.042. Complex 1 contains a near perpendicular s-trans oxalyl moiety in the benzoylformyl ligand with the torsional angle O4-C4-C5-O5 being 104 (1)-degrees. The iron complex suffers spontaneous decarbonylation at 25-degrees-C to yield CpFe(COPh) (CO)2.