• Apperley, David C.
• Weller, Andrew S.
• Macgregor, Stuart Alan
• Thompson, Amber L.
• Algarra, Andrés G.
• Pike, Sebastian D.

Abstract

Transition metal - alkane complexes-termed s-complexes because the alkane donates electron density to the metal from a σ-symmetry carbon - hydrogen (C-H) orbital - are key intermediates in catalytic C-H activation processes, yet these complexes remain tantalizingly elusive to characterization in the solid state by single-crystal x-ray diffraction techniques. Here, we report an approach to the synthesis and characterization of transition metal-alkane complexes in the solid state by a simple gas-solid reaction to produce an alkane σ-complex directly. This strategy enables the structural determination, by x-ray diffraction, of an alkane (norbornane) σ-bound to a d 8 -rhodium(I) metal center, in which the chelating alkane ligand is coordinated to the pseudosquare planar metal center through two σ-C-H bonds.

Topics

• density
• impedance spectroscopy
• Carbon
• x-ray diffraction
• Rhodium
• Hydrogen
• activation
• alkane