Electrophilic attack of alkyl halide at the cyanide nitrogen in trans-[Fe(H)(CN)(dppe)2]: preparation, structure, and properties of trans-[Fe(H)(CNR)(dppe)2]X (dppe=Ph2PCH2CH2PPh2; R=Me, Et, Pr, i-Pr, n-Bu, CH2CH2Br, CH2CH2CH2I, CH2CHCH2, CH2CCH; X=Br,

Compound trans-[FeH(CN)(dppe)2] (1) reacted with alkyl iodides or alkyl bromides to give Fe(II)–organic isocyanide complexes of the type trans-[FeH(CNR)(dppe)2]X [X=I: R=Me (2), Et (3), Pr (4), CH2CH2CH2I (5), i-Pr (6), CH2CHCH2 (7); X=Br: R=Et (8), Pr (9), n-Bu (10), CH2CH2Br (11), CH2CHCH2 (12), CH2CCH (13)]. Compound 1 reacted with BF3 to give a Lewis acid–base adduct, trans-[FeH(CN→BF3)(dppe)2]. Compounds 5 and 13 were characterized structurally by X-ray diffraction, in which the hydride ligand appears to be involved in the dihydrogen bonding, MH⋯HC.