Vicinal dichlorine elimination at dichloroalkenes promoted by a well-defined iron(0) complex

Dechlorination reactions at sp(2) C-Cl bonds by a pentaphosphino zero-valent iron (ZVI) complex are proposed to follow an oxidative addition, beta-Cl-elimination pathway en route to iron-chloride, iron-hydride and iron-acetylide products, the distribution being dependent on the nature of alkyne produced.