Half-Sandwich (η⁶-Arene)iron(II) Dinitrogen Complexes Bearing a Disilaferracycle Skeleton as a Precursor for Double Silylation of Ethylene and Alkynes

Reaction of 2 equiv of 1,2-bis(dimethylsilyl)benzene with [Fe(mesityl)2]2 in aromatic solvent under a nitrogen atmosphere afforded the dinuclear bis(silyl)iron complexes [(η6-arene)Fe(Me2SiC6H4SiMe2)]2(μ-η1:η1-N2) (1), which have an end-on-bound bridging dinitrogen ligand. The dinitrogen unit easily dissociated from the Fe center to generate the mononuclear (η6-arene)FeII(Si)2L or (η6-arene)FeIV(Si)2H2 complexes by the reactions with CO, PPh3, and H2.