Synthesis and characterization of a stable iron–methylene complex; methylene activation by electron transfer catalysis (ETC)

The first stable iron–methylene complex [Fe(C5Me5)(dppe)(CH2)]+BF4–(2+)(dppe =P,P′-Ph2PCH2CH2PPh2) has been isolated and fully characterized; the methylene ligand has been activated by electron transfer catalysis (ETC) to initiate a ligand exchange reaction with acetonitrile, or the cyclopropanation of styrene with a coulombic efficiency of 100.