Tom Bitterwolf, Tim Bays, Bruce Scallorn and Callie Weiss
Department of Chemistry, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844-3243.
Rh(CO)(PMe3)2Cl has been observed to catalyze the hydroformylation of alkanes and aromatic hydrocarbons under photochemical conditions. Earlier solutions studies have provided evidence for an intermediate resulting from carbon monoxide loss, as well as a curious wavelength dependent effect on the product distributions. We have examined the photolysis of Rh(CO)(PMe3)2Cl in frozen Nujol at ca. 77 K and have found evidence for both CO and PMe3 loss photointermediates. A mechanism incorporating both of these intermediates nicely accounts for the observed product distributions.