A one-pot method to prepare the carbene complex [TpMe2,ClRhCl2(CHNiPr2)] from [TpMe2,ClRh(CO)2], CHCl3, and NHiPr2

The complex [TpMe2,ClRh(CO)2] reacts with chloroform to give quantitatively the rhodium(III) complex [TpMe2,ClRhCl(CHCl2)(CO)] resulting from the oxidative addition of a C–Cl bond. Further reaction with diisopropylamine gives the aminocarbene complex [TpMe2,ClRhCl2(CHNiPr2)], whose X-ray crystal structure has been solved. Addition of an excess of diisopropylamine to [TpMe2,ClRh(CO)2] in chloroform provides directly [TpMe2,ClRhCl2(CHNiPr2)].