Catalytic Hydrogenolysis of an Aryl-Aryl Carbon-Carbon Bond with a Rhodium Complex

Abstract

Recent publications have brought renewed interest to the quest for homogeneous catalytic activation of carbon-carbon bonds. However, except for a few reports of biphenylene cleavage, the mechanism and scope of aryl-aryl C-C bond activation remains relatively uninvestigated. In the hope of overcoming the obstacle of weak M-C bonds, we used a rhodium system that should provide a thermodynamically favored C-C cleaved complex by making strong metal-aryl bonds. Reaction of (C[sub 5]Me[sub 5])Rh(PMe[sub 3])(Ph)(H) (1) with 1.5 equiv of biphenylene in cyclohexane-d[sub 12] at 65[degree]C resulted in the quantitative formation of (CC[sub 5]Me[sub 5])Rh(PMe[sub 3]) (biphenylenyl(H)) (2), along with a small amount of a red complex. The cleavage of the well-hidden carbon-carbon bond of biphenylene described relies both on a strained four-membered ring and on the formation of a stable pentametallacycle. The results show that C-H activation and [eta][sup 2] coordination are probably involved in the process leading to C-C bond cleavage, and valuable information can be obtained from studies of this system. 21 refs., 1 fig.