Treatment of rhodium(III) halides with the N-heterocycles (LH), 1,3-bis(ben
zimidazolyl)benzene (bBzlH(2)bzH; Ia) and its N-methyl derivative (bBzlMe(2
)bzH; Ib) in methanol gave halobridged binuclear cyclometallated products o
f the composition [RhX2L](2) (X = Cl, Br or I). The chloro complex undergoe
s halobridge cleavage reactions to yield several new mononuclear complexes
of the types RhCl2(bBzlH(2)bz)(AsPh3), RhCl(bBzlH(2)bz)(OClO3)(L'/N-N) (L'
= AsPh3; N-N = 2,2'-bipyridine or 1, 10-phenanthroline) and the heterocycle
bridged binuclear complexes of the composition [RhCl2(bBzlH(2)bz)](2)(mu-N
-N) (N-N = pyrazine or 4,4'-bipyridine). Passage of CO through [RhCl2(bBzlH
(2)bz)](2) in DMF yielded mononuclear carbonyl complex RhCl2(CO)(bBzlH(2)bz
). 2H(2)O. Treatment of carbonylated solution of rhodium trichloride with I
a produced non-cyclometallated mononuclear complex of the type [Rh(CO)(2)(b
BzlH(2)bzH)]Cl. The complexes are characterised by H-1, C-13 NMR, IR, Far-I
R, electronic and FAB-mass spectral studies. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd.
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