Stepwise formation of quasi-octahedral macrocyclic complexes of rhodium(III) and iridium(III) bearing a pentamethylcyclopentadienyl group

Reactions of MCl2(Cp*)]2] (1: M=Ir, 2: M=Rh) with bidentate ligands (L) such as 1,4-diisocyano-2,5-dimethylbenzene (a), 1,4-diisocyano-2,3,5,6-tetramethylbenzene (b), pyrazine (c) or 4,4'-dipyridyl (d) gave the corresponding dinuclear complexes MCl2(Cp*)]2(L)] (M=Ir: 3a, 3b, 5c, 5d; M=Rh: 4b, 6c, 6d), which were converted into tetranuclear complexes M2(mu-Cl)2(Cp*)2]2(L)2](OTf)4 (M=Ir: 7c, 7d, 9a, 9b; M=Rh: 8e, 8d, 10b) on treatment with Ag(OTf). X-ray analyses of 8c and 8d revealed that each of four pentamethylcyclopentadienyl metal moieties was connected by two mu-Cl-bridged atoms and a bidentate ligand to construct a rectangular cavity with the dimensions of 3.7 x 7.0 A for 8c and 3.7 x 11.5 A for 8d. Both the Rh2Cl2 and pyrazine (or 4,4'dipyridyl) ring planes are perpendicular to the Rh4 plane. Treatment of Cl-bridged complexes (7c, 7d, 8e, 8d, 9b, and 10b) with a different ligand (L') resulted in cleavage of the Cl bridges to produce two-dimensional complexes MCl(Cp*)]4(L)-(L')]2](OTf)4 (11ac, 11bc, 11bd, 12bc, and 12bd) with two different ligand "edges". Complex 10b reacted readily with 1,4-diisocyano-2,3,5,6-tetramethylbenzene (b) to give a tetranuclear rhodium(III) complex 12bb. The structure of tetranuclear complexes was confirmed by X-ray analysis of 11bc. Each MCp*] moiety is surrounded by a Cl atom, isocyanide, and pyrazine (or 4,4'-dipyridyl) and the dimensions of its cavity are 7.0 x 11.6 A.