[μ-3,3'-Bis(tri-hydro-bor-yl)[3]ferroceno-phane]bis-(chlorido-zirconocene)

Abstract

The title compound, [FeZr2(C5H5)4Cl2(C13H18B2)], is a heteronuclear complex that consists of a [3]ferrocenophane moiety substituted at each cyclo-penta-dienyl (Cp) ring by a BH3 group; the BH3 group is bonded via two H atoms to the Zr atom of the zirconocene chloride moiety in a bidentate fashion. The two Cp rings of the [3]ferrocenophane moiety are aligned at a dihedral angle of 8.9 (4)° arising from the strain of the propane-1,3-diyl bridge linking the two Cp rings. [One methyl-ene group is disordered over two positions with a site-occupation factor of 0.552 (18) for the major occupied site.] The dihedral angles between the Cp rings at the two Zr atoms are 50.0 (3) and 51.7 (3)°. The bonding Zr⋯H distances are in the range 1.89 (7)-2.14 (7) Å. As the two Cp rings of the ferrocene unit are connected by an ansa bridge, the two Zr atoms approach each other at 6.485 (1) Å. The crystal packing features C-H⋯Cl inter-actions.

Fig. 1.

Synthesis of the title compound 3. Reagents and conditions: (i) 2 eq Li[AlH4], Et2O, -78°C to room temperature, 1.5 h; (ii) 3 eq [Cp2ZrCl2], Et2O, room temperature, 12 h.

Fig. 2.

Perspective view of the title compound 3. Displacement ellipsoids are drawn at the 50% probability level. H atoms bonded to C and the minor occupied site of the disordered methylene group omitted for clarity.