Novel neutral and anionic rhodium complexes containing imido ligands

A straightforward synthesis provides surprisingly stable, neutral and anionic μ3-imidorhodium clusters. The unusual complex [Rh4(μ-MeC6H4N)2(cod)4], whose structure is shown on the right, contains two bridging imido ligands that cap a triangle of metal atoms. One of these ligands, in addition, coordinates through the p-tolyl ring to a [Rh(cod)] moiety in a n5-cyclohexadienyl-like fashion. cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene.We thank the Direction General de Investigación Cientifica y Técnica (DGICYT) for financial support (Projects PB94-1186 and PB92-86-C2) and for a fellowship to Y.-M. S. (on leave from Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences) and the European Community Human Capital and Mobility Program (CT93-0347) for a fellowship to A. J. E.Peer reviewe