Coordination and reactivity of white phosphorus and tetraphosphorus trisulphide in the presence of the fragment CpFe(dppe) [dppe = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane]

The reaction of [CpFe(dppe)Cl] (1) [dppe = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane] with one equivalent of P4 or P4S3 in the presence of a chloride scavenger, TlPF6 or AgOTf (OTf = triflate, OSO2CF3), affords the complexes [CpFe(dppe)(η1-P4)]PF6 (2) and [CpFe(dppe)(η1-Pbasal-P4S3)]OTf (3) which contain the tetrahedral P4 and the mixed P4S3 cage molecule η1-bound to the metal. Both P4 and P4S3 yield furthermore the dimetal compounds [{CpFe(dppe)}2(μ,η1:1-P4)](PF6)2 (4) and [{CpFe(dppe)}2(μ,η1:1-Papical-Pbasal-P4S3)](OTf)2 (5), which contain the tetrahedral P4 or the mixed-cage P4S3 molecule tethering two ruthenium fragments via two phosphorus atoms. All the compounds have been characterized by elemental analyses and NMR measurements. The crystal structure of 4 has been determined by X-ray diffraction methods. The complexes readily react with excess water under mild reaction conditions and the outcoming products have been identified.