Abstract: | Synthesis, Structure, and Photochemical Behavior of Olefine Iridium(I) Complexes with Acetylacetonato Ligands The bis(ethene) complex [Ir(κ2‐acac)(C2H4)2] ( 1 ) reacts with tertiary phosphanes to give the monosubstitution products [Ir(κ2‐acac)(C2H4)(PR3)] ( 2 – 5 ). While 2 (R = iPr) is inert toward PiPr3, the reaction of 2 with diphenylacetylene affords the π‐alkyne complex [Ir(κ2‐acac)(C2Ph2)(PiPr3)] ( 6 ). Treatment of [IrCl(C2H4)4] with C‐functionalized acetylacetonates yields the compounds [Ir(κ2‐acacR1,2)(C2H4)2] ( 8 , 9 ), which react with PiPr3 to give [Ir(κ2‐acacR1,2)(C2H4)(PiPr3)] ( 10 , 11 ) by displacement of one ethene ligand. UV irradiation of 5 (PR3 = iPr2PCH2CO2Me) and 11 (R2 = (CH2)3CO2Me) leads, after addition of PiPr3, to the formation of the hydrido(vinyl)iridium(III) complexes 7 and 12 . The reaction of 2 with the ethene derivatives CH2=CHR (R = CN, OC(O)Me, C(O)Me) affords the compounds [Ir(κ2‐acac)(CH2=CHR)(PiPr3)] ( 13 – 15 ), which on photolysis in the presence of PiPr3 also undergo an intramolecular C–H activation. In contrast, the analogous complexes [Ir(κ2‐acac)(olefin)(PiPr3)] (olefin = (E)‐C2H2(CO2Me)2 16 , (Z)‐C2H2(CO2Me)2 17 ) are photochemically inert. |