Gas-phase study of Fe sup + -benzyne with alkanes

The unimolecular chemistry of Fe{sup +}-benzyne and its reactivity with small alkanes in the gas phase are studied by Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FTMS). Collision-induced dissociation of Fe{sup +}-benzyne yields benzyne loss exclusively. In contrast, photodissociation of Fe{sup +}-benzyne yields not only cleavage of benzyne from Fe{sup +}, but competitive loss of C{sub 2}H{sub 2} and C{sub 4}H{sub 2} as well. The Fe{sup +}-benzyne is formed from chlorobenzene by loss of HCl. This dehydrochlorination of chlorobenzene also occurs in secondary reactions up to six times forming products of the type Fe{sup +}-polyphenylene. Fe{sup +}-benzyne reacts with alkanes larger than methane to form a wide variety of product ions by mechanisms including hydrogenation and methanation of the benzyne ligand. All of the product ions can be explained by mechanisms based on Fe{sup +} insertion into either C-C or C-H bonds as the reaction-initiating step, followed by either alkyl or H migration from Fe{sup +} onto the benzyne ligand or, alternatively, by the migratory insertion of benzyne into a metal-carbon or metal-hydrogen bond. Photodissociation and ion-molecule reaction studies yield a value for the metal-ligand bond energy of D{degree} (Fe{sup +}-benzyne) = 76 {plus minus} 10 kcal/mol.