The heterogeneously catalysed Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis converts syngas (CO+H2) into long chain hydrocarbons and is a key step in the economically important transformation of natural gas, coal, or biomass into liquid fuels, such as diesel. Catalyst surface studies indicate that the FT reaction starts when CO is activated at imperfections on the surfaces of late transition metals (Fe, Ru, Co, or Rh) and at interfaces with "islands" of promoters (Lewis acid oxides such as alumina or titania). Activation involves CO cleavage to generate a surface carbide, C(ad), which is sequentially hydrogenated to CHx(ad) species (x=1-4). An overview of practical aspects of the FT synthesis is followed by a discussion of the chief mechanisms that have been proposed for the formation of 1-alkenes by polymerisation of surface C1 species. These mechanisms have traditionally postulated rather non-polar intermediates, such as CH2(ad) and CH3(ad). However, electrophiles and nucleophiles are well-known to play key roles in the reactions of organic and organometallic compounds, and also in many reactions homogeneously catalysed by soluble metal complexes, including olefin polymerisation. We have now extended these concepts to the Fischer-Tropsch reaction, and show that the polymerisation reactions at polarising surfaces, such as oxide-metal interfaces, can be understood if the reactive chain carrier is an electrophilic species, such as the cationic methylidyne, CH(delta+)(ad). It is proposed that the key coupling step in C-C bond formation involves the interaction of the electrophilic methylidyne with an alkylidene (RCH(ad), R=H, alkyl), followed by an H-transfer to generate the homologous alkylidene: CHdelta+(ad)+RCH(ad)-->RCHCH(ad) and RCHCH(ad)+H(ad)-->RCH2CH(ad). If the reactions occur on non-polarising surfaces, an alternative C-C bond forming reaction such as the alkenyl+methylene, RCH=CH(ad)+CH2(ad)-->RCH=CHCH2(ad), can take place. This approach explains important aspects of the enigmatic Fischer-Tropsch reaction, and allows new predictions.

Diiron μ-aminocarbyne compounds, 1a-e, are prepared in two steps from Fe 2 Cp 2 (CO) 4 , negating the need for difficult purification procedures of intermediate species; they are efficiently isolated by alumina chromatography. Minor amounts of μ-aminocarbyne aryl isocyanide compounds, 2a-c, are obtained as side products. The structures of the cations in 1a,c,e are calculated using DFT; the carbyne carbon is generally predicted to be the thermodynamic site of hydride addition, in agreement with a previous experimental finding concerning 1a. Accordingly, the reaction of 1e with NaBH 4 affords a bridging aminocarbene complex, 4, in 85 % yield. Otherwise, the reaction of 1c with NaBH 4 yields the aminocarbyne-cyclopentadiene derivative 3 (70 %), presumably as a consequence of the [a] Scheme 1. Regioselective additions of nucleophiles to the diiron aminocarbyne complex 1a. Results and DiscussionThe commercial compound [Fe 2 Cp 2 (CO) 4 ] was reacted with the appropriate isocyanide, in a ca. 3:2 molar ratio, in acetonitrile solution. [16] The reactions with alkyl isocyanides were conducted under reflux conditions, whereas the reactions with aryl isocyanides proceeded at room temperature. The resulting mixtures were dried under vacuum and the residues were dissolved in dichloromethane and then treated with methyl triflate, thus affording the μ-aminocarbyne complexes 1a-e (Scheme 2). The difficult isolation of the monoisocyanide intermediates (see the Introduction) was unnecessary. The final products 1a-e were efficiently purified by alumina chromatography and were then isolated as microcrystalline, air-stable compounds in 65-92 % yields. The synthesis of 1c-e was accompanied by the side formation of minor products derived from di-isocyanide species, 2a-c. Compounds 2a-c were recovered by the chromatography in 3-12 % yields, although 2a was formerly reported as being Scheme 2. Synthesis of diiron μ-aminocarbyne complexes.Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 2018, 960-971 www.eurjic.org

The diiron vinyliminium complexes [Fe2{μ-η1:η3-C(R‘)CHCN(Me)(R)}(μ-CO)(CO)(Cp)2][SO3CF3] [R = Xyl, R‘ = Me, 1a; R = Xyl, R‘ = Tol, 1b; R = Xyl, R‘ = CO2Me, 1c; R = Xyl, R‘ = CH2OH, 1d; R = Xyl, R‘ = Bun, 1e; R = Me, R‘ = Me, 1f; R = Me, R‘ = Tol, 1g; R = Me, R‘ = CO2Me, 1h; R = Me, R‘ = Bun, 1i; R = Me, R‘ = CH2OH, 1l; R = p-C6H4-CN, R‘ = Tol, 1m; R = p-C6H4-OMe, R‘ = Me, 1n; Tol = 4-C6H4-Me; Xyl = 2,6-Me2C6H3] react with elemental sulfur or selenium, in the presence of NaH, to give the zwitterionic vinyliminium compounds [Fe2{μ-η1:η3-C(R‘)C(E)CN(Me)(R)}(μ-CO)(CO)(Cp)2] [R = Xyl, R‘ = Me, E = S, 2a; R = Xyl, R‘ = Tol, E = S, 2b; R = Xyl, R‘ = CO2Me, E = S, 2c; R = Xyl, R‘ = CH2OH, E = S, 2d; R = Xyl, R‘ = Bun, E = S, 2e; R = Xyl, R‘ = Me, E = Se, 3a; R = Xyl, R‘ = Tol, E = Se, 3b; R = Me, R‘ = Me, E = Se, 3c; R = Me, R‘ = Tol, E = Se, 3d; R = Me, R‘ = CO2Me, E = Se, 3e; R = Me, R‘ = Bun, E = Se, 3f; R = Me, R‘ = CH2OH, E = Se, 3g]. Similarly, the reaction of 1a with Me3NO/NaH results in the formation of [Fe2{μ-C(Me)C(O)CN(Me)(Xyl)}(μ-CO)(CO)(Cp)2] (4), in which the bridging ligand is better described as a bis-alkylidene. The reactions of 1a,c with S8/NaH afford also the five-membered metallacycles [Fe(Cp)(CO){Cα(NMe(Xyl))Cβ(H)Cγ(R‘)S}] [R‘ = Me, 6a; R‘ = CO2Me, 6b], as secondary products, in about 15% yield. Conversely, complexes [Fe2{μ-η1:η3-C(R‘)CHCN(Me)(R)}(μ-CO)(CO)(Cp)2][SO3CF3], 1f−h,m,n, react with S8/NaH, giving selectively the five-membered metallacycles [Fe(Cp)(CO){C(R‘)C(H)C{N(Me)(R)}S}] [R = Me, R‘ = Me, 7a; R = Me, R‘ = Tol, 7b; R = Me, R‘ = CO2Me, 7c; R = p−C6H4−CN, R‘ = Tol, 7d; R = p-C6H4-OMe, R‘ = Me, 7e]. The molecular structures of 2b·CH2Cl2, 3a, 4, 6a, and 7b have been determined by X-ray diffraction studies.

The complexes [Fe 2 {µ-CN(Me)(R)}(µ-CO)(CO)(NCMe)(Cp) 2 ][SO 3 CF 3 ] (R ) Xyl, 1a; R ) Me, 1b; R ) CH 2 Ph, 1c; Xyl ) 2,6-Me 2 C 6 H 3 ), containing a labile NCMe ligand, react under mild conditions with a variety of terminal alkynes HCtCR′ (R′) SiMe 3 , Me, Bu n , Tol, Ph, H; Tol ) 4-MeC 6 H 4 ) to give the bridging vinyliminium complexes [Fe 2 {µ-σ: 7). Insertion of the alkyne into the metal-carbyne carbon bond is regiospecific, resulting only in the product containing the R′ group on the carbon bound to Fe. Similarly, insertion of the disubstituted alkynes R′CtCR′ (R′ ) Me, Et) affords the analogous compounds [Fe 2 {µ-σ:). The molecular structure of complex 2a has been elucidated by an X-ray diffraction study.

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