Redox activation of dicarbonyl(η5-cyclopentadienyl)methyl iron within the cavity of β-cyclodextrin: carbon monoxide insertion in iron–methyl bond

The organometallic complex CpFe(CO)2CH3 is included in a β-cyclodextrin cavity, retains its redox activity and undergoes CO insertion into the methyl–metal bond. The reaction inside the cavity suppresses undesirable loss of released CO from the reaction site. This simplifies the mechanism of the bond-insertion reaction in the presence of cyclodextrin. Further enhancement is observed in presence of free CO, which can penetrate to the reaction site inside the cyclodextrin cavity.