title: Gas-Phase Rates of Alkane C-H Oxidative Addition to a Transient CpRh(CO) Complex.
abstract: The gas-phase irradiation of CpRh(CO)(2) (Cp = eta(5)-C(5)H(5)) was examined in order to study the rates of reaction of the 16-electron intermediates presumed to be involved in the C-H oxidative addition of alkanes. "Naked" (unsolvated) CpRh(CO) was detected, and direct measurements of the rates of reaction of this very short-lived complex with alkane C-H bonds were made. Activation of C-H bonds occurs on almost every collision for alkanes of moderate size, and intermediates in which the alkanes are bound to the metal centers, without their C-H bonds being fully broken, are implicated as intermediates in the overall reaction.
authors.forename: E P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Wasserman
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Bergman