Triferriothioxophosphoranes: First Structural Characterization of a μ 3 ‐P=S Complex

The P-H-functional triferriophosphonium salts [{CpFe-(CO)2}3PH]2FeCl4 (1) and [{μ-CO(CpFeCO)2}{CpFe-(CO)2}PH]2FeCl4 (4) are easily deprotonated by DBU to the corresponding unstable triferriophosphanes 2, 5, which subsequently are oxidized by sulfur to the triferriophosphane sulfides {CpFe(CO)2}3P=S (3) and {μ-CO(CpFeCO)2}{CpFe-(CO)2}P=S (6), respectively. The photolysis of 3 results only in its decomposition by elimination of [CpFe(CO)2]2, whereas the photolysis of 6 cleaves off one CO ligand to give the new spiro compound (CpFeCO)(μ-η2-PS){μ-CO(CpFeCO)2} (7), where the P=S unit is η2-bonded to the 15-electron CpFeCO fragment, and the phosphorus atom bridges two 17-electron fragments. Compound 7 shows a new coordination mode of the PS unit where sulfur is also bound to one of the metal atoms. Compounds 6 and 7 can be regarded as first examples of a new class of PS complexes of transition metals. All compounds were characterized by IR, 31P{1H}- and 13C{1H}-NMR spectroscopy as well as mass spectrometry; for 6 the X-ray analytical data are given.