Reactivity of [PPh<inf>4</inf>][Fe<inf>2</inf>(CO)<inf>6</inf>{μ-CPhCPhC(CF <inf>3</inf>)C(CF<inf>3</inf>)H}] toward electrophiles. X-Ray structure of [Fe<inf>2</inf>(CO)<inf>6</inf>{μ-CPhCPhC(CF<inf>3</inf>)CHC(OEt) <inf>2</inf>}], a product resulting from fluorine abstraction at a CF<inf>3</inf> group and subsequent fluorine substitution by ethoxy-groups

The complex [PPh4][Fe2(CO)6{μ-CPhCPhC(CF 3)C(CF3)H}] reacts with electrophiles like H+ and C2H5+ to give [Fe2(CO)6{μ-CPhCPhC(CF3)CHCF2}], a product resulting from fluorine abstraction at a CF3 group. This product reacts with ethanol to give [Fe2(CO)6{μ-CPhCPhC(CF3)CHC(OEt) 2}] whose structure has been established by single-crystal X-ray determination. The compound crystallizes in the space group P21/n with a = 10.673(6), b = 20.681 (4), c = 13.118(4) Å, β = 92.27(3)°, and Z = 4. The structure was refined to R = 0.027 (R′ = 0.026) for 1 137 independent reflections. In this structure, the organic bridge is bonded to one iron by an allylic fragment, CPhCPhC(CF3), and the CHC(OEt)2 fragment is very asymmetrically bonded to the other iron [Fe-C(H) 2.150(10), Fe-C(OEt)2 2.864(10) Å].