Synthesis and Structural Characterization of a Series of One-Dimensional Heteronuclear Dirhodium-Silver Coordination Polymers.

Herein, we describe the preparation of heteronuclear dirhodium-silver complexes by reaction between molecular Rh(II)-Rh(II) compounds [Rh₂(μ-O₂CR)₄L₂] (R = Me, Ph (), CH₂OEt (); L = solvent molecules) with paddlewheel structure and PPh₄[Ag(CN)₂]. One-dimensional coordination polymers of (PPh₄)[Rh₂(μ-O₂CR)₄Ag(CN)₂] (R = Me (), Ph (), CH₂OEt ()) formula have been obtained by replacement of the two labile molecules in the axial positions of the paddlewheel structures by a [Ag(CN)₂] bridging unit. The crystal structures of ⁻ display a similar arrangement, having anionic chains with a wavy structure and bulky (PPh₄)⁺ cations placed between the chains. The presence of the (PPh₄)⁺ cations hinders the existence of intermolecular Ag-Ag interactions although several C-H····π interactions have been observed. A similar reaction between [Rh₂(μ-O₂CCMe₃)₄(HO₂CCMe₃)₂] and PPh₄[Ag(CN)₂] led to the molecular compound (PPh₄)₂{Rh₂(μ-O₂CCMe₃)₄[Ag(CN)₂]₂} () by replacement of the axial HO₂CCMe₃ ligands by two [Ag(CN)₂] units. The trimethylacetate ligand increases the solubility of the complex during the crystallization favouring the formation of discrete heteronuclear species.