Alkane picosecond carbon-hydrogen bond cleavage at the iridium carbonyl center

ALKANE PICOSECOND CARBON-HYDROGEN BOND CLEAVAGE AT THE IRIDIUM CARBONYL CENTER 

The use of metals to activate the alkane C-H bond cleavage has been known for some time. First observations were made upon irradiation of the rhodium r -C5H5Rh(C02)2 complex. It has been well established that C-H bond activation involves the initial fragment CpRh(CO) (Cp = Tj -CjHj) generated upon irradiation of the corresponding dicarbonyl complex. At room temperature, in cyclohexane, the CpRh(CO)(cyclohexane) solvate is formed, which undergoes conversion to CpRhCO(cyclohexyl)(H) on the nanosecond to microsecond time scale. 

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