Iron tris(dimethyldithiocarbamate)


Iron tris is the coordination complex of iron with dimethyldithiocarbamate with the formula Fe3. It is marketed as a fungicide.

Synthesis, structure, bonding

Iron triss are typically are prepared by salt metathesis reactions.
Iron tris is an octahedral coordination complex of iron with D3 symmetry.
Spin crossover was first observed in 1931 by Cambi et al. who discovered anomalous magnetic behavior for the tris complexes. The spin states of these complexes are sensitive to the nature of the amine substituents.

Reactions

Iron triss react with nitric oxide to give a nitrosyl complex:
This efficient chemical trapping reaction provides a means to detect NO.
Reflecting the strongly donating properties of dithiocarbamate ligands, iron triss oxidize at relatively mild potentials to give isolable iron derivatives +.
Iron triss react with hydrochloric acid to give the pentacoordinate chloride:

Safety

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has set the legal for ferbam exposure in the workplace as 15 mg/m3 over an 8-hour workday. The U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has set a recommended exposure limit of 1 mg/m3 over an 8-hour workday. At levels of 800 mg/m3, ferbam is immediately dangerous to life and health.