Structures of HRh(PMe2Ph)4 and HRh(PPh2Me)4

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0020-1693(97)05786-1

The mononuclear hydrido complexes HRh(PMe₂Ph)₄ (1) and HRh(PPh₂Me)₄ (2) have been prepared and structurally analyzed by X-ray diffraction techniques. The geometry of both compounds consists of a distorted trigonal bipyramidal arrangement of ligands around rhodium. The hydride ligands were not located crystallographically, but were predicted by potential energy calculations to be situated at the axial positions. Crystallographic details: both compounds crystallize in the triclinic space group P1. For HRh(PMe₂Ph)₄ (1): a=11.058(4), b=16.332(4), c=9.530(3) A, α=94.07(2), β=99.37(3), γ=102.21 (3)°, V= 1662.4(9) A³ for Z=2; R_F=0.0463, R_wF=0.0496 for 3550 reflections with I>3σ(I). For HRh(PPh₂Me)₄ (2): a=13.061(6), b=16.672(7), c=12.150(6) A, α=107.30(3), β=114.19(3), γ=71.45(4)°, V=2245(2) A³ for Z=2; R_F=0.0482, R_wF=0.0488 for 4350 reflections with I>3σ(I).