Experimental evidence is presented demonstrating that bare Fe+ does not insert in the C-X bond of (CH,),C-X (X = CN, NC). Rather, initial "end-on" complexation of the functional group induces cleavage of this bond which is followed by hydrogen transfer to X; this results in the formation of diligated complexes of the general structure C,H,-.M+-.XH (Scheme 111, 9 and 12). These intermediates serve as precursors for the competitive loss of C, H, and HX; by means of high-energy collisional activation the products due to the unimolecular elimination of C4H, are characterized by MS/MS techniques as the "end-on" complexes of HCN and HNC with Fe' (10 and 13, respectively). Moreover, new insight into the mechanism of "dissociative attachment" is provided.