Reactions of di-μ-carbonyl-cis-μ-(1-5-η:1′-5′-η-dicyclopentadienyl-dimethylsilane)bis(carbonyliron) with aryllithium reagents. Crystal structures of [Fe2(μ-CO){μ-C(OC2H5)C6H5}(CO)2{(η5-C5H4)2Si(CH3)2}] and [Fe2(μ-CO){μ-C(OC2H5)C6H4OCH3-p}(CO)2{(η5-C5H4)2S

The reactions of di-μ-carbonyl-cis-μ-(1-5-η:1′-5′-η-dicyclopentadienyl-dimethyl silane)bis(carbonyliron), [Fe2(μ-CO)2(CO)2{(η5-C5H4)2Si(CH3)2}] (1), with aryllithium reagents, ArLi (Ar=C6H5, o-, m-, p-CH3C6H4, p-CH3OC6H4, p-ClC6H4, p-CF3C6H4), in ether at low temperature afforded acylmetalate intermediates, followed by alkylation with Et3OBF4 in aqueous solution at 0°C or in CH2Cl2 at −30°C gave the (dicyclopentadienyldimethylsilane)diiron bridging alkoxycarbene complexes [Fe2(μ-CO){μ-C(OC2H5)Ar}(CO)2{(η5-C5H4)2Si(CH3)2}] (2, Ar=C6H5; 3, Ar=o-CH3C6H4; 4, Ar=m-CH3C6H4; 5, Ar=p-CH3C6H4; 6, Ar=p-CH3OC6H4; 7, Ar=p-ClC6H4; 8, Ar=p-CF3C6H4), among which the structures of 2 and 6 have been established by X-ray diffraction studies.