Three N-substituted selenium-bridged diiron complexes [{(μ-SeCH2) 2NC6H4R} Fe2 (CO) 6](R= 4-NO2, 7; R= H, 8; R= 4-CH3, 9) were firstly prepared as biomimetic models for the Fe– Fe hydrogenases active site. Models 7–9 could be generated by the convergent reaction of [(μ-HSe) 2Fe2 (CO) 6](6) with N, N-bis (hydroxymethyl)-4-nitroaniline (1), N, N-bis (hydroxymethyl) aniline (2), and N, N-bis (hydroxymethyl)-4-methylaniline (3) in 46–52% ...