Complexes containing unsaturated medium rings: The crystal and molecular structures of two rhodium(I) complexes

Abstract

The crystal and molecular structures of two rhodium(I) complexes with long-chain alkyne- or alkene-α,ω-diyldiphosphines have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. RhCl(CO){Bu^t₂P(CH₂)₄C≡C(CH₂)₄PBu^t₂} crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pna2₁ with a 21.991 (2), b 11.915(1), c 11.890(1) Ǻ and Z 4. The structure was refined by least-squares methods to a conventional R factor of 0.097 for 1768 independent reflections (Mo Kα diffraction data). The rhodium ion is in a square-planar coordination geometry with trans-phosphorus atoms; the unsaturated (alkynyl) group is not bonded to the rhodium. Crystals of RhCl{Bu^t₂P(CH₂)₂CH=CH(CH₂)_2- PBu^t₂} are monoclinic, space group P2₁/c, a 20.783(12), b 8.580(4), c 14.799(9) Ǻ, β 100.70(2)°, Z 4. The structure analysis has converged to R 0.069 for 1417 reflections (Mo Kα diffractometry); the coordination geometry of the rhodium is again planar with the ethylenic group occupying a single bonding site. The effect of ring size on the rhodium-phosphorus bond lengths is discussed.