Rhodium 72-carbodiimide complex

The photolysis of the rhodium carbodiimide complex 60 in liquid propylene affords the allyl derivative 61. ... 

Hessell ET, Jones WD (1992) Synthesis and structure of rhodium complexes containing a photolabile 72-carbodiimide ligand. 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of phenyl azide to Tp Rh(CNR)2 (Tp = Hydrotris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)borate). OrganometaUics 11 1496-1505... 

We first reported that the 16-electron rhodium fragment [Tp Rh(CNR)] where CNR = neopentyl isocyanide could activate hydrocarbon C-H bonds by irradiation of the carbodiimide precursor in benzene [1]. 366 nm irradiation of the yellow complex 1 led to the colorless phenyl hydride product in good yield. The quantum yield was determined to be 1.0 0.3, which is higher than for many other organ-ometallic photoprecursors [2-6]. Compotmd 1 is readily prepared by the reaction of phenyl azide with the Tp Rh(CNR)2. 

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