Synthesis and reactivity towards tetrafluoroboric acid of a new family of heterobimetallic polyhydride complexes [(CO)(PPh3)2HRe(μ-H)3RhL2] (L = PPh3, 1,2,5-triphenylphosphole, or P(OMe)3)

The reaction of KReH₆(PPh₃)₂] with RhCl(CO)L₂] L= PPh₃, 1,2,5-triphenylphosphole (TPP), or P(OMe)₃] leads to the new electronically unsaturated heterobimetallic polyhydride complexes (CO)(PPh₃)₂HRe(μ-H)₃RhL₂] in moderate-to-good yields. The structures of these complexes have been established on the basis of spectroscopic data, especially ¹H and ³¹P NMR. The bridging hydride ligands are fluxional but there is either a slow or nonexistent exchange between terminal and bridging hydrides. For L = PPh₃ or TPP, protonation with tetrafluoroboric acid affords quantitatively the cationic complexes (CO)(PPh₃)₂HRe(μ-H)₃RhHL₂]⁺, isolated as the BF₄⁻ or the BPh₄⁻ salts.