Heteronuclear rhodium, palladium, platinum, and gold organoimido complexes from dinuclear organoamido rhodium precursors.

Treatment of the organoamido complexes [Rh(2)(mu-4-HNC(6)H(4)Me)(2)(L(2))(2)] (L(2) = 1,5-cyclooctadiene (cod), L = CO) with nBuLi gave solutions of the organoimido species [Li(2)Rh(2)(mu-4-NC(6)H(4)Me)(2)(L(2))(2)]. Further reaction of [Li(2)Rh(2)(mu-4-NC(6)H(4)Me)(2)(cod)(2)] with [Rh(2)(mu-Cl)(2)(cod)(2)] afforded the neutral tetranuclear complex [Rh(4)(mu-4-NC(6)H(4)Me)(2)(cod)(4)] (2), which rationalizes the direct syntheses of 2 from [Rh(2)(mu-Cl)(2)(cod)(2)] and Li(2)NC(6)H(4)Me. Reactions of [Li(2)Rh(2)(mu-4-NC(6)H(4)Me)(2)(CO)(4)] with chloro complexes such as [Rh(2)(mu-Cl)(2)(CO)(4)], [MCl(2)(cod)] (M = Pd, Pt), and [Ru(2)(mu-Cl)(2)Cl(2)(p-cymene)(2)] afforded the homo- and heterotrinuclear complexes PPN[Rh(3)(mu-4-NC(6)H(4)Me)(2)(CO)(6)] (5; PPN=bis(triphenylphosphine)iminium), [(CO)(4)Rh(2)(mu-4-NC(6)H(4)Me)(2)M(cod)] (M = Pd (6), Pt(7)) and [(CO)(4)Rh(2)(mu-4-NC(6)H(4)Me)(2)Ru(p-cymene)] (8), while the reaction with [AuCl(PPh(3))] gave the tetranuclear compound [(CO)(4)Rh(2)(mu--4-NC(6)H(4)Me)(2)Au(PPh(3))] (9). The structures of complexes 6, 8, and 9 were determined by X-ray diffraction studies. The anion of 5 reacts with [AuCl(PPh(3))] to give the butterfly cluster [[Rh(3)(mu-4-NC(6)H(4)Me)(2)(CO)(6)]Au(PPh(3))] (10), in which the Au atom is bonded to two rhodium atoms. Reaction of the anion of 5 with Rh(cod)(NCMe)(2) gave the tetranuclear complex [Rh(4)(mu-4-NC(6)H(4)Me)(2)(CO)(6)(cod)] (11) in which the Rh(cod) fragment is pi-bonded to one of the arene rings, while the reaction of the anion of 5 with [PdCl(2)(cod)] afforded the heterotrinuclear complex 6 through a metal exchange process.