Chlorido(dimethyl 2,2′-bipyridine-4,4′-dicarboxylate-κ2N,N′)(η5-pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)rhodium(III) chloride 1-hydroxypyrrolidine-2,5-dione disolvate

The title complex, [Rh(C10H15)Cl(C14H12N2O4)]Cl·2C4H5NO3, has been synthesized by a substitution reaction of the precursor [bis(2,5-dioxopyrrolidin-1-yl) 2,2′-bipyridine-4,4′-dicarboxylate]chlorido(pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)rhodium(III) chloride with NaOCH3. The RhIIIcation is located in an RhC5N2Cl eight-coordinated environment. In the crystal, 1-hydroxypyrrolidine-2,5-dione (NHS) solvent molecules form strong hydrogen bonds with the Cl−counter-anions in the lattice and weak hydrogen bonds with the pentamethylcyclopentadienyl (Cp*) ligands. Hydrogen bonding between the Cp* ligands, the NHS solvent molecules and the Cl−counter-anions form links in a V-shaped chain of RhIIIcomplex cations along thecaxis. Weak hydrogen bonds between the dimethyl 2,2′-bipyridine-4,4′-dicarboxylate ligands and the Cl−counter-anions connect the components into a supramolecular three-dimensional network. The synthetic route to the dimethyl 2,2′-bipyridine-4,4′-dicarboxylate-containing rhodium complex from the [bis(2,5-dioxopyrrolidin-1-yl) 2,2′-bipyridine-4,4′-dicarboxylate]rhodium(III) precursor may be applied to link Rh catalysts to the surface of electrodes.