Various bimetallic carbonyl complexes based on iridium and rhodium were characterized and used in the catalytic hydrodefluorination of aryl C−F bonds with dihydrogen as reductant.
Reaction of Ir(CO)Cl(Ph(2)Ppy)(2) with mercury(II) chloride gave Ir(CO)Cl-2(mu-Ph(2)Ppy)(2)HgCl (1), as the main product and Ir-2(CO)(2)Cl-4(mu-Ph(2)Ppy)(2) (2), as the by-product, whereas reaction of Ir(CO)ClP(fur)(3)}(2) with mercury(II) chloride only gave Ir(CO)Cl-2P(fur)(3)}(2)HgCl (3). Reaction of Rh(CO)Cl(L)(2) with mercury(II) chloride gave Rh(CO)Cl-2(mu-L)(2)HgCl (L = Ph(2)Ppy (4); L = P(fur)(3) (5)). The crystal and molecular structures of 2 . CH2Cl2, 4.1/2H(2)O and 5 have been determined by X-ray analysis. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.