Supercritical fluid impregnation of polyethylene films, a new approach to studying equilibria in matrices; the hydrogen bonding of fluoroalcohols to (η 5-C 5Me 5)Ir(CO) 2 and the effect on CH activation

Abstract

Polyethylene (PE) film is used as a matrix for studying temperature-dependent equilibria by IR spectroscopy; the film is impregnated with Cp*Ir(CO) 2 (Cp*=η 5-C 5Me 5) using supercritical CO 2 and subsequently saturated with HOR F (R F=(CF 3) 2CH or (CF 3) 3C). At 200 K, the equilibrium between Cp*Ip(CO) 2 and the hydrogen-bonded complex, Cp*Ir(CO) 2…HOR F, is frozen out and can be disturbed photochemically, because Cp*Ir(CO) 2 is more efficient than Cp*Ir(CO) 2…HOR F for CH activation of polyethylene.