Infrared Spectra of Rh Atom Reaction Products with C2H2: The HRhCCH, RhCCH, RhCCH2, and Rh-η-C2H2 Molecules

Laser-ablated Rh atoms react with C2H2 upon co-condensation in excess argon and neon to form the insertion product HRhCCH, the alkyne RhCCH, the vinylidene RhCCH2, and the metallacycle complex Rh-eta(2)-(C2H2). These species are identified through (C2H2)-C-13, C2D2, and mixed C2HD isotopic substitutions and density functional theory isotopic frequency calculations. The HRhCCH molecule is characterized by the CH stretching mode at 3306.2 cm(-1) (Ar) and 3310.9 cm(-1) (Ne), the Rh-H stretching mode at 2090.8 cm(-1) (Ar) and 2111.0 cm(-1) (Ne), and two CCH deformation modes at 584.3 and 573.3 cm(-1) (Ar) and 587.1 and 580.3 cm(-1) (Ne). The absorptions for the vinylidene RhCCH2 complex are observed at 3150.9 (Ar), 3147.2 (Ne) (CH stretching), 1690.1 (Ar), 1694.3 (Ne) (CC stretching), and 804.9 (Ar), 810.5 cm(-1) (Ne) (CCH deformation). The metallacycle Rh-eta(2)-(C2H2) complex is also identified through CC stretching and CCH deformation modes. The insertion reaction of ground Rh atom to the C-H bond is spontaneous on the basis of the growth of HRhCCH absorptions upon annealing in both solid neon and argon. Here, we show that atomic Rh can convert acetylene to the simple Rh vinylidene complex, analogous to that found for ligand-supported Rh complexes.