Synthesis and characterisation of complexes of Group 13 metal amidinate heterocycles with the CpFe(CO)2 fragment.

The first examples of complexes between a 4-membered amidinato-Group 13 metal(III) heterocycle and a transition metal fragment are formed in salt elimination reactions between Na[CpFe(CO)2] and [MX2(amid)], M=Al, Ga or In; X=Cl or Br; amid-=[(RN)2CBut]-; R=Pri or cyclohexyl (Cy). The formed complexes, [CpFe(CO)2M(X)(amid)] (4 examples) have been crystallographically characterised and subject to halide abstraction reactions. In one case, the cationic complex, [CpFe(CO)2Ga(OEt2){(CyN)2CBut}][BArf4], was isolated and crystallographically characterised. A hydrolysis product of this complex, [{CpFe(CO)2Ga[(CyN)2CBut]}2(micro-OH)][BArf4], was also isolated in low yield from this reaction and structurally characterised.