Facile Oxidative Addition of O-H Bonds of Methanol and Water to Ir Complexes Having Peraryldiphosphane Ligands.

A new piece in the puzzle. Hydrido(alkoxo) complexes of late transition metals have often been postulated as intermediates or transition states in the catalytic hydrogenation of carbonyl compounds and catalytic hydrogen transfer reactions. Here the facile oxidative addition of the O-H bonds of alcohol and water to iridium(I) complexes of peraryldiphosphanes [Eq. (a)] is reported and the resulting complexes are described. R=H, Me.