In an attempt to determine the electron configuration of (anion)iron corrolates, i.e., whether they are S = 1 Fe(IV)-corrolate(3-) or S = 3/2 Fe(III)-corrolate(2-*), with antiferromagnetic coupling between the iron and macrocycle electrons to yield overall S = 1, two axial ligand complexes of an iron octaalkylcorrolate have been studied by temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility, magnetic Mössbauer, and 1H NMR spectroscopy, and the results have been compared to those determined on the basis of spin-unrestricted DFT calculations. Magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate the presence of a noninnocent macrocycle (corrolate (2-*)) for the chloroiron corrolate, with strong antiferromagnetic coupling to the S = 3/2 Fe(III) center, while those for the phenyliron corrolate are not conclusive as to the electron configuration. Temperature- and field-dependent Mössbauer spectroscopic investigations of these two complexes yielded spectra that could be simulated with either electron configuration, except that the isomer shift of the phenyl-iron complex is -0.10 mm/s while that of the chloroiron complex is +0.21 mm/s, suggesting that the iron in the former is Fe(IV) while in the latter it is Fe(III). 1H NMR spectroscopic studies of both axial ligand complexes show large negative spin density at the meso carbons, with those of the chloroiron complex (Cai, S.; Walker, F. A.; Licoccia, S. Inorg. Chem. 2000, 39, 3466) being roughly four times larger than those of the phenyliron complex. The temperature dependence of the proton chemical shifts of the phenyliron complex is strictly linear. DFT calculations are consistent with the chloroiron complex being formulated as S1 = 3/2 Fe(III)-corrolate (2-*) S2 = 1/2, with negative spin density at all nitrogens and meso carbons, and a net spin density of -0.79 on the corrolate ring and positive spin density (+0.17) on the chloride ion and +2.58 on the iron. In contrast, the phenyliron complex is best formulated as S = 1 Fe(IV)-corrolate (3-), but again with negative spin density at all nitrogens and meso carbons of the macrocycle, yet with the net spin density on the corrolate ring being virtually zero; the phenyl carbanion carbon has relatively large negative spin density of -0.15 and the iron +2.05. On the basis of all of the results, we conclude that in both the chloroiron and phenyliron complexes the corrolate ring is noninnocent, in the chloroiron complex to a much larger extent than in the phenyliron complex.

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