Improved Synthesis of [CpRRhCl2]2 Complexes

This communication presents a new preparation for complexes of the general structure [(CpRhCl2)-Rh-R](2) (Cp-R = a substituted cyclopentadienyl ligand). Using isopropyl alcohol as the solvent in place of ethanol prevents the formation of Rh-carbonyl side products during synthesis. This procedure also affords higher yields of many [(CpRhCl2)-Rh-R](2) derivatives with significantly shorter reaction times in comparison to previous methods. This procedure is applied to a variety of complexes bearing sterically diverse cyclopentadienyl ligands.