Cyclo-penta-dienone triisocyanide iron complexes: general synthesis and crystal structures of tris-(2,6-di-methyl-phenyl isocyanide)(η4-tetra-phenyl-cyclo-penta-dienone)iron and tris-(naphthalen-2-yl iso-cyanide)(η4-tetra-phenyl-cyclo-penta-dienone)iron acetone hemisolvate.

Irradiation of a toluene solution containing cyclo-penta-dienone tricarbonyl iron complexes and isocyanides with blue LEDs afforded the formation and isolation of 12 triisocyanide complexes, two of which, namely tris-(2,6-di-methyl-phenyl isocyanide)(η4-tetra-phenyl-cyclo-penatedienone)iron, [Fe(C9H9N)3(C29H20O)], and tris-(naphthalen-2-yl isocyanide)(η4-tetra-phenyl-cyclo-penatedienone)iron acetone hemisolvate, [Fe(C11H7N)3(C29H20O)]2·C3H6O, could be characterized crystallographically. The air-stable compounds were purified by column chroma-tography and were characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, elemental analysis and HRMS. NMR and XRD data indicate generally more electron-rich Fe0 centers compared to the corresponding tricarbonyl compounds.