Zincocenes as Mild Cyclopentadienyl Transfer Reagents toward Rhodium(I) Olefin Precursors. Facile Synthesis of (η⁵-Cp′)Rh(olefin)₂Compounds

Abstract

The Rh(I) cyclopentadienyl olefin compounds [(η 5 -C 5 Me 4 R)Rh(olefin) 2 ] (R = CMe 3, SiMe 3, SiMe 2 CMe 3; olefin = C 2 H 4, C 2 H 3 SiMe 3 ) are readily prepared from the corresponding [RhCl(olefin) 2 ] 2 and zincocene, [Zn(C 5 Me 4 R) 2 ], precursors. The new compounds undergo hydrogen/deuterium exchange at the olefinic sites in deuterated benzene, at a rate dependent on the cyclopentadienyl substituents.