Synthesis and crystal structure of a rhodium(II) formamidinate dimer with axial water and methanol molecules

Abstract

The title compound of a lantern-type rhodium(II) dimer, [Rh2(4-Et-pf)2(O2CCF3)2(H2O)(MeOH)] (4-Et-pf- = N, N'-bis(4-ethylphenyl)formamidinate anion), was isolated and the crystal structure was determined by the single-crystal X-ray diffraction method at 90 K. It crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1 with a = 10.866(2)Å, b = 13.435(3)Å, c = 14.834(4)Å, a = 85.764(3)° β = 75.546(3)° γ = 83.729(3)° V = 2082.0(7)Å3, Dx = 1.571 g/cm3, and Z = 2. The R1 [I > 2σ(I)] and wR2 (all data) values are 0.0449 and 0.1222, respectively, for all 12360 independent reflections. The cis-(2:2) arrangement of the 4-Et-pf and trifluoroacetato ligands within the dimer was confirmed, the methanol and water molecules coordinating to each axial site of the dimer, respectively. The Rh-Rh distance is 2.4487(7)Å and the axial Rh-O distances are 2.321(3) (for Rh-O (MeOH)) and 2.454(5)Å (for Rh-O (H2O)), respectively. © The Japan Society for Analytical Chemistry.