SYNTHESIS AND PROPERTIES OF THE HETERODINUCLEAR COMPLEXES [CP(CO)2FE(CH2)NRU(CO)2CP] (WHERE N=3-6-CP= ETA-5-C5H5)

The new heterodinuclear complexes [Cp(CO)2Fe(CH2)(n)Ru(CO)2Cp] (where n = 4-6 and Cp = eta-5-C5H5) have been prepared by the reaction of the appropriate iodoalkyl compounds [CpFe(CO)2{(CH2)(n)I}] with Na[CpRu(CO)2]. The compounds have been fully characterized by microanalysis, IR, 1-H NMR, C-13 NMR and mass spectroscopy. New data are also reported for the compound where n = 3. The spectroscopic data for the series of compounds where n = 3-6 are discussed. The thermal behaviour of the heterodinuclear compounds where n = 3-5 has been investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and the data are compared with those obtained for their homometallic analogues. A single crystal X-ray diffraction study on [Cp(CO)2Fe(CH2)6Ru(CO)2Cp] confirms the presence of the zigzag hexamethylene chain with the metal atoms occupying terminal positions, but due to metal atom disorder in the crystal, accurate bond lengths and angles could not be obtained.