A convenient synthetic route to half-sandwich rhodium(III) complexes of the tripodal ligand tris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)methane

The synthesis of the complex [RhCl3tpm*], (1), (tpm*= tris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)methane) is reported. This complex is a suitable starting material for the synthesis of heteroleptic half-sandwich complexes: it has been used to synthesise the complexes; [RhCl(bpy)tpm*][(PF6)2][2][(PF6)2](bpy = 2,2'-bipyridyl), [RhCl(phen)tpm*][(PF6)2][3][(PF6)2]. (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline), [RhCl2(py)tpm*][(PF6)], [4][(PF6)2], (py = pyridine), and[RhCl(py)2tpm*][(PF6)2], [5][(PF6)2]. The structures of [2][(PF6)2], [33][(PF6)2], [4][(PF6)2], and [5][(PF6)2] have been determined by X-ray crystallography. The electrochemical and photophysical properties of these new compounds have also been investigated.