Preparation and reactivity towards hydrazines of bis(cyanamide) and bis(cyanoguanidine) complexes of the iron triad.

Bis(diethylcyanamide) [Fe(N≡CNEt2)2L4](BPh4)2 1a and bis(cyanoguanidine) [Fe{N≡CN(H)C(NH2)=NH}2L4](BPh4)2 1b [L = P(OEt)3] complexes were prepared by allowing iron(II) chloride to react first with an excess of P(OEt)3 and then of the appropriate cyanamide, followed by addition of an excess of NaBPh4. Instead, bis(complexes) of ruthenium and osmium [M(N≡CNEt2)2L4](BPh4)2 2a, 3a and [M{N≡CN(H)C(NH2)=NH}2L4](BPh4)2 2b, 3b (M = Ru 2, Os 3) were prepared by reacting hydrides MH2L4 first with either triflic acid HOTf or methyltriflate MeOTf and then with an excess of the appropriate cyanamide. Hydride-diethylcyanamide [MH(N≡CNEt2)L4]BPh4 4a, 5a and hydride-cyanoguanidine complexes [MH{N≡CN(H)C(NH2)=NH}L4](BPh4)2 4b, 5b (M = Ru 4, Os 5) were also obtained by reacting MH2L4 first with one equivalent of HOTf or MeOTf and then with the appropriate cyanamide. Treatment of bis(cyanamide) and bis(cyanoguanidine) complexes 1-3 with hydrazines RNHNH2 afforded hydrazinecarboximidamide derivatives [M{η(2)-N(H)=C(NEt2)N(R)NH2}L4](BPh4)2 6a-12a and [M{η(2)-N(H)=C[N=C(NH2)2]N(R)NH2}L4](BPh4)2 6b-12b (M = Fe 6-8, Ru 9, 10, Os 11, 12; R = H 6, 9, 11, Me 7, 10, 12, Ph 8). A reaction path involving nucleophilic attack by hydrazine on the cyanamide carbon atom is proposed. All the complexes were characterised by spectroscopy and X-ray crystal structure determination of [Os{η(2)-NH=C[N=C(NH2)2]N(CH3)NH2}{P(OEt)3}4](BPh4)2 12b.