title: Selective cleavage of P-N bonds and the conversion of rhodium N-pyrrolyl phosphine complexes into diphosphoxane-bridged dimers.
abstract: Rhodium(I) complexes trans-[RhCl(CO)(PR(2)[NC(4)H(3)C(O)Me-2])(2)] (R = Ph, NC(4)H(4)) react with water to give the diphosphoxane-bridged dimers [Rh(2)Cl(2)(CO)(2)(mu-PR(2)OPR(2))(2)] following cleavage of the P-N bonds to the 2-acetyl-N-pyrrolyl groups. The two dimers have been crystallographically characterized and show a number of structural differences, with the PPh(2)OPPh(2) compound possessing semibridging chloride and carbonyl ligands whereas the P(NC(4)H(4))(2)OP(NC(4)H(4))(2) compound contains only terminal chlorides and carbonyls. No evidence for cleavage of the P-N bonds involving the unfunctionalized N-pyrrolyl groups in trans-[RhCl(CO)(P[NC(4)H(4)](2)[NC(4)H(3)C(O)Me-2])(2)] was observed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, U.K. BA2 7AY. a.d.burrows@bath.ac.uk
authors.forename: Andrew D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Burrows
authors.forename: Mary F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Mahon
authors.forename: Mark T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Varrone