Reaction of [Fe
2{
![](/images/entities/mgr.gif)
-S(CH
2)
3S}(CO)
6] (
1) at room temperature with the N-heterocyclic carbenes I
Me-(CH
2)
2-L (I
Me = 1-methylimidazol-2-ylidene, L = NMe
2, SMe) afforded the pentacarbonyl carbenederivatives [Fe
2{
![](/images/entities/mgr.gif)
-S(CH
2)
3S}(CO)
5{I
Me-(CH
2)
2-NMe
2}] (
2a) and [Fe
2{
![](/images/entities/mgr.gif)
-S(CH
2)
3S}(CO)
5{I
Me-(CH
2)
2-SMe}] (
2b). Reaction of
1 with I
Me-CH
2-I
Me at room temperature provided the dimer [{Fe
2(
![](/images/entities/mgr.gif)
-S(CH
2)
3S)(CO)
5}
2{
![](/images/entities/mgr.gif)
-(I
Me-CH
2-I
Me)}] (
3) together with the chelated bis-NHC complex [Fe
2{
![](/images/entities/mgr.gif)
-S(CH
2)
3S}(CO)
4{I
Me-CH
2-I
Me}] (
4a) as the major product. The analogous reaction of
1 with I
Me-(CH
2)
2-I
Me yielded the chelatedbis-NHC complex [Fe
2(
![](/images/entities/mgr.gif)
-S(CH
2)
3S)(CO)
4{I
Me-(CH
2)
2-I
Me}] (
4b). Addition of HBF
4 to compound
4aafforded the stable bridging hydride complexes [Fe
2(
![](/images/entities/mgr.gif)
-H){
![](/images/entities/mgr.gif)
-S(CH
2)
3S}(CO)
4{I
Me-CH
2-I
Me}](BF
4) (
5a,
b)with NHC ligands in a basal/basal and basal/apical mode of coordination in
5a,
b, respectively. Themolecular structures of
2a,
3,
4a,
b, and
5a were confirmed by X-ray diffraction studies. Low-temperatureNMR studies on the protonation of
4a showed spectroscopic evidence for the formation of a very unstableterminal hydride and a bridging hydride species with a NHC ligand having a non classical mode ofcoordination via a C-4(5) bond. Cyclic voltammetry revealed that
4a is a catalyst for proton reduction.