Some Novel Alkoxy Chemistry of Rhodium(l)

Department of Chemistry, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur-302 004 In contrast to the ready hydrolysability of transition metal alkoxides, the alkoxo and phenoxo bridged binuclear derivatives of rhodium(1) of the general formula, E(COD)Rh(OR)2 (COD =1 5-cyclooctadiene ; R=CH3, C2H5, CH2CF3 and Ph) can be synthesised by treating [(COD)RhCI]2 with NaOH/KOR in ROH-THF medium. The alcoholysis reactions of these alkoxides show interesting variations. A number of mononuclear rhodium(I) complexes [(COD)Rh(R1COCHCOR2)] (R1 =R2 =Me ; R1 =Ph, R2=Me ; and R1 =R2 =Ph) have been synthesised from the methoxo bridged binuclear rhodium(I) complex [(COD)Rh(OMe)]2