Ring strain governs transmetalation behaviour at a tucked-in iron complex.

Studies that independently investigate [M]-C transmetalation reactions using two different metals are uncommon and yet understanding this reactivity is important to unlocking new synthetic approaches and product classes. Here, we show that the strained [Fe]-C complex, [(η-CMe-CH)Fe(diphosphine)] undergoes transmetalation with rhodium(I) and iridium(I) diolefin salts, leading to rapid Fe-C(sp) bond cleavage and M-C(sp) (M = Rh or Ir) bond generation.