Carbonyl groups isocyanide displacement

Partial substitution occurs with other isocyanides. Tertiary phosphines, arsines, and sti-bines also partially displace the carbonyl groups Ni(CO)4 " ... 

Pentacarbonyl iron is fairly inert to substitution reactions, and attempts to prepare Fe(CO)5- (CNR) (n = 1-5) by the direct reaction of Fe(CO)5 with isocyanides in Carius tubes has produced only the complexes Fe(CO)s (CNR) (n = 1 and 2). The products were obtained as mixtures that required separation. Other syntheses, including photochemical and trimethylamine N-oxide-promoted displacement of carbonyl groups, or other means, give the same products in variable yield. Procedures based on diiron nonacarbonyl and triiron dodecacarbonyl have produced similar results. The only zero-valent iron complex Fe(CO)5 (CNR) where n > 2 is the complex Fe(CNR)5 prepared either by metal vapor synthesis techniques or by sodium amalgam reduction of iron(II) bromide in the presence of isocyanide. ... 

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