Crystal structure of (η⁵-pentamethylcyclo-pentadienyl)(methyldiphenylphosphite-P)dichlororhodium(III)

Abstract

The molecule (η⁵-pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)(methyldiphenylphosphinite-P)dichlororhodium(III), [(η⁵-C₅Me₅)RhCl₂(PPh₂OMe)], crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system in space group P2₁/c with unit cell parameters a = 16.056(3) Å, b = 9.4331(18) Å, c = 15.745(3) Å, β = 108.330(4), V = 2263.8(7) ų and Z = 4. There is three-legged piano stool geometry about Rh. The Rh-P distance of 2.278(2) Å is shorter than those of [(η⁵-C₅Me₅)RhCl₂(PPh₂OR)] where R is an aryl group, and longer than those found in [(η⁵-C₅Me₅)RhCl₂{PPh(OR)₂}]. The structure reveals significant distortion of the pentamethylcyclopentadienyl towards ′η³,η²-enyl-ene′ coordination.