499inversion of 3b ought to be nontrivial since the phosphorus atom in this compound is still four-coordinate. Without having further proof for this, we propose as an inversion pathway a rotation of the Fe-W unit around the FePW three-center bond, thereby formally considering . the phosphorus atom as three-coordinate. At the moment there is, however, no obvious way of testing this hypothesis.
ConclusionsThe cluster types 1 and 2 extend the series of clusters that can be opened by addition of donor ligand^.^^'^^ They differ from the previously studied p3-PR-bridged trimetal systems in that they add two PR3 ligands showing no noticeable intermediate and that reversal to the closed cluster framework is possible by loss of CO only or by loss of CO and PR3. For the one case studied kinetically an associative mechanism is indicated for the rate-determining step in complete analogy to dinuclear FeCo(p-AsMe2) systems. A significant stereochemical information has been obtained in the observation that optical activity is maintained in this type of cluster opening but that the open cluster framework sustains slow inversion. This puts a serious limitation on the transfer of stereochemical in-formation in conversions that may involve cluster framework reactions.Although the cluster types 1 and 2 demonstrate again that ligand substitution on clusters can occur by an addition-elimination sequence, this will certainly not be the case for all custers. Future investigations should elucidate which factors (besides just metal-metal bond strengths) determine the preference of clusters for "internal" or "external" substitution mechanisms that in turn should offer a better understanding for the still ill-defined area of cluster catalysis.Acknowledgment. This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, the Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung, and the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie. We thank Mr. C. de Meric de Bellefon and Mr. J.-L. Richert, Strasbourg, for NMR measurements, Dr. K. Steinbach, Marburg, for mass spectra, and the Rechenzentrum der Universiat Freiburg for computer time. Supplementary Material Available: Tables containing all distances and angles for 3a (7 pages); a listing of FJF, for 3a (13 pages). Ordering information is given on any current masthead Reaction of iron pentacarbonyl with o-MeXC6H4Li (X = 0, NMe), followed by alkylation of the acylmetalate with [Et30]BF4, gave the methylene-bridged complexes (C0)3Fe(p-C(OEt)-.r12-C6H4XMe)-Fe(C0)3. Substitution of two carbonyls from the complex where X = 0 with P(OMe)3 yielded (CO),-(P(OMe)3)Fe(~-C(OEt)-.r12-c~H4OMe)Fe(P(OMe)~)(CO)2 as the main product. The complexes (CO), F: (S(CH2)3S)Fe(CO)2(C(OEt)R) (R = n-Bu, Me, Ph), which have terminal carbene ligands, were synthesized from (CO)3Fe(S(CHz)3S)Fe(CO)3 and organolithium reagents. The structures of (CO),Fe(p-C-(OEt)-.r12-C6H4NMe2)Fe(CO)3 (11) and (CO)3Fe(S(CH2)3S)Fe(C0)2(C(OEt)Ph) (VII) were confirmed by X-ray crystallography. The crystals of I1 are monoclinic, space group PZ1/n, with a = 9.180 (3) A, b = 18.636 (4...