Nomenclature
CAS number: 13463-40-6
Iron carbonyl; pentacarbonyliron.
C
5FeO
5; mol wt 195.90.
C 30.66%, Fe 28.51%, O 40.84%.
Fe(CO)
5.
Description and references
Prepn from CO and Fe ore: Wallis, Townshend, US 2378053 (1945 to International
Nickel); from CO and Fe or FeSO4.7H2O: Reppe et al., Ann. 582, 116 (1953); from CO and Fe amalgams: Ettmayer,
Jangg, Monatsh. Chem. 92, 834 (1961); from CO and steel turnings: Shipman, GB 897204 (1962 to ICI). Convenient lab prepn of small quantities of Fe(CO)5 from Fe(CO)4I2: Hieber, Lagally, Z. Anorg. Allg. Chem. 245, 295
(1940). Thermodynamic data: Cotton et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 81, 800 (1959);
Leadbetter, Spice, Can. J. Chem. 37, 1923 (1959). Toxicity: Sunderman et al., Arch. Ind. Health 19, 11 (1959); Gage, Br. J. Ind. Med. 27, 1 (1970). Reviews: Cable, Sheline, Chem. Rev. 56, 1 (1956); Wender et al., The Chemistry and Catalytic
Properties of Cobalt and Iron Carbonyls (U.S. Govt. Printing
Office, Washington, 1962) 83 pp; H. Alper, “Organic Syntheses with
Iron Pentacarbonyl” in Organic Syntheses via
Metal Carbonyls vol. 2, I. Wender, P. Pino,
Eds. (John Wiley, New York, 1977) pp 545-593. Review of iron tetracarbonyl, the photochemically produced intermediate: M. Poliakoff, Chem. Soc. Rev. 7, 527-540 (1978).
Properties
Colorless to yellow, oily liquid. Pyrophoric
in air; burns to Fe2O3. Dec by light
to Fe2(CO)9 and CO. mp 20°. bp 103°. d420 1.46-1.52; nD22 1.453. Poisonous, flammable. Critical temp 285-288°;
critical pressure 29.6 atm. Flash pt 15°C. Heat capacity at constant
pressure (14°) 56.9 cal/mole/°C. Latent heat of fusion 3161 cal/mol;
latent heat of vaporization 9.6 kcal/mole. Heat of combustion 386.9
kcal/mole; heat of formation [Fe(CO)5(liq)] 182.6 kcal/mole.
Practically insol in water, liquid ammonia. Readily sol in most
organic solvents including ether, benzene, petr ether, acetone, ethyl
acetate, carbon tetrachloride, carbon disulfide; slightly sol in alcohol.
Protect from light and air. LD50 in mice, rats (mg/l): 2.19, 0.91 inhalation for 30 min. (Sunderman).Caution
Potential symptoms of overexposure
are irritation of eyes, mucous membranes, respiratory system; headache,
dizziness, nausea, vomiting; fever, cyanosis, cough, dyspnea; liver,
kidney, lung injury; degenerative CNS changes. See NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards (DHHS/NIOSH
97-140, 1997) p 174.Use
To make finely divided iron, so-called carbonyl
iron, which is used in the manuf of powdered iron cores for high frequency
coils used in the radio and television industry; as antiknock agent
in motor fuels; as catalyst and reagent in organic reactions.