ACTION OF ALKYL-HALIDES ON HOMO-PORPHYRIN AND HETERO-PORPHYRIN DIMERS INVOLVING A RHODIUM-INDIUM BOND, PRODUCING PORPHYRIN COMPLEXES CONTAINING METAL-CARBON AND METAL-HALIDE BONDS

The reactivity of the novel family of metalloporphyrin dimers containing a Rh-In bond towards alkyl halides is presented. The chemical reactivity of the homoleptic (same porphyrin ligand) and heteroleptic (different porphyrin ligand) porphyrin complexes with Rh-In metal-metal bond has been examined by photo- and thermal-processes in the presence of alkyl halides under anaerobic conditions in the dark. The photolytic and thermal reactions have been studied to define the polarity of the Rh-In single bond, as well as to identify the products. The presence of complexes containing Rh-C bonds in the reaction mixture detected by UV-vis spectroscopy postulated the formulation Rh(I)(-): --> In(III)(+) for the polarity of the metal-metal bond. In order to characterize the products we compare our spectroscopic results with those of the literature and those of authentic Rh-C containing complexes.