Tricarbonylbis(triphenylphosphine)iron(0) is a

coordination complex A coordination complex is a chemical compound consisting of a central atom or ion, which is usually metallic and is called the ''coordination centre'', and a surrounding array of chemical bond, bound molecules or ions, that are in turn known as ' ...

with the formula Fe(CO)₃(PPh₃)₂ (Ph = C₆H₅). A yellow solid, this complex is derived from

iron pentacarbonyl Iron pentacarbonyl, also known as iron carbonyl, is the compound with formula . Under standard conditions Fe( CO)5 is a free-flowing, straw-colored liquid with a pungent odour. Older samples appear darker. This compound is a common precursor t ...

by replacement of two

carbonyl ligand In organic chemistry, a carbonyl group is a functional group with the formula , composed of a carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen atom, and it is divalent at the C atom. It is common to several classes of organic compounds (such as aldehydes, ...

s by

triphenylphosphine Triphenylphosphine (IUPAC name: triphenylphosphane) is a common organophosphorus compound with the formula P(C6H5)3 and often abbreviated to P Ph3 or Ph3P. It is versatile compound that is widely used as a reagent in organic synthesis and as a l ...

(PPh₃).

Synthesis and reactions

The title complex can be prepared by reaction of

triiron dodecacarbonyl Triiron dodecacarbonyl is the organoiron compound with the formula Fe3(CO)12. It is a dark green solid that sublimes under vacuum. It is soluble in nonpolar organic solvents to give intensely green solutions. Most low-nuclearity clusters are pa ...

with excess triphenylphosphine: : (Triphenylphosphine)iron tetracarbonyl is an intermediate in the synthesis of this compound. The title complex can also be produced more efficiently by

borohydride Borohydride refers to the anion , which is also called tetrahydroborate or more commonly tetrahydrobiopterin, and its salts. Borohydride or hydroborate is also the term used for compounds containing , where ''n'' is an integer from 0 to 3, for ex ...

-catalyzed substitution of iron pentacarbonyl. Protonation gives the ferrous hydride: : Both the mono- and bis(triphenylphosphine) complexes were originally described by

Walter Reppe Walter Julius Reppe (29 July 1892 in Göringen – 26 July 1969 in Heidelberg) was a German chemist. He is notable for his contributions to the chemistry of acetylene. Education and career Walter Reppe began his study of the natural sciences Un ...

References

{{reflist Triphenylphosphine complexes Iron carbonyl complexes