An iron diphosphineborane platform that was previously reported to facilitate a high degree
of N2 functionalization is herein shown to effect reductive CO coupling. Disilylation of an iron
dicarbonyl precursor furnishes a structurally unprecedented iron dicarbyne complex.
Several complexes related to this process are also characterized which allows for a
comparative analysis of their respective Fe–B and Fe–C bonding. Facile hydrogenation of
the iron dicarbyne at ambient temperature and 1 atm H2 results in release of a CO-derived …