The compound has attracted much attention as a precursor to dihydrogen complexes.

[1] The complex exhibits octahedral molecular geometry.

The chloride and hydride ligands are mutually trans.

[2] The bond distances between the iron metal atom and the coordinating ligands are given by the following: The compound is synthesized according to the following idealized reaction:[3] In the course of this conversion, high-spin complex FeCl2(dppe)2 converts to low-spin HFeCl(dppe)2.

The complex HFeCl[(dppe)2 exhibits a number of reactions associated with the remaining Fe-Cl bond.