Zwitterionic half-sandwich Rh and Ir complexes containing a diphosphine nido-carborane ligand: synthesis, structure transformation and application in H2 activation

Several novel zwitterionic half-sandwich complexes and pseudocloso metallacarboranes based on 1,2-(PPh2)(2)-1,2-C2B10H10 were successfully prepared, and further study proved that some of them can activate H-2 to form the metal hydride complexes Cp*M(H)(7,8-(PPh2)(2)-7,8-C2B9H10) (M = Rh, Ir).