Spectroelectrochemical Study of some μ3-Oxo-μ-acetato Trinuclear Rhodium(III) and Iridium(III) Complexes

Abstract

New trinuclear rhodium(III) complexes, [Rh3(μ3-O)(μ-CH3COO)6(L)3]+ (L = imidazole (Him), 1-methylimidazole (Meim), and 4-methylpyridine (Mepy)) have been prepared. The Him, Meim, and Mepy complexes show reversible one-electron oxidation waves at E1/2 = +1.12, +1.12, and +1.28 V vs Ag/AgCl, respectively, in acetonitrile. Electronic absorption spectra of the one electron oxidized species of these complexes and [Rh3(μ3-O)(μ-CH3COO)6(py)3]+ (py = pyridine) (E1/2 = +1.32 V ) were obtained by spectroelectrochemical techniques. While the Rh3(III,III,III) states show no strong visible absorption, the Rh3(III,III,IV ) species give a band at ca. 700 nm (ε = 3390-5540 mol dm-3 cm-1). [Ir3(μ3-O)(μ-CH3COO)6(py)3]+ with no strong absorption in the visible region, shows two reversible one-electron oxidation waves at +0.68 and +1.86 V in acetonitrile. The electronic absorption spectrum of the one-electron oxidized species (Ir3(III,III,IV )) also shows some absorption bands (688 nm (ε, 5119), 1093 (2325) and 1400 (ca. 1800)). It is suggested that the oxidation removes an electron from the fully occupied anti-bonding orbital based on metal-dπ-μ3-O-pπ interactions, the absorption bands of the (III,III,IV ) species being assigned to transitions to the anti-bonding orbital.