A Rhodium-Pentane Sigma-Alkane Complex: Characterization in the Solid State by Experimental and Computational Techniques

F. Mark Chadwick, Nicholas H. Rees, Andrew S. Weller*, Tobias Krämer, Marcella Iannuzzi, Stuart A. Macgregor

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

48 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The pentane σ-complex [Rh{Cy2P(CH2CH2)PCy2}(η22-C5H12)][BArF 4] is synthesized by a solid/gas single-crystal to single-crystal transformation by addition of H2 to a precursor 1,3-pentadiene complex. Characterization by low temperature single-crystal X-ray diffraction (150 K) and SSNMR spectroscopy (158 K) reveals coordination through two Rh⋯H-C interactions in the 2,4-positions of the linear alkane. Periodic DFT calculations and molecular dynamics on the structure in the solid state provide insight into the experimentally observed Rh⋯H-C interaction, the extended environment in the crystal lattice and a temperature-dependent pentane rearrangement implicated by the SSNMR data.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3677-3681
Number of pages5
JournalAngewandte Chemie - International Edition
Volume55
Issue number11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 7 Mar 2016

Keywords

  • alkanes
  • C-H activation
  • computation
  • rhodium
  • sigma complexes

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