Iridium(III) hydrido amino acid compounds: Chiral complexes and a helical extended lattice

[Ir(COD)(PMe3)3]Cl, 1, reacts with amino acids in water to yield cationic hydride amino acid complexes, [Ir(aa)(H)(PMe3)3]Cl, 2. In general, complexes 2 display octahedral geometry with a meridional arrangement of the PMe3 ligands, with the amino acid chelating through O and N and with hydride trans to N. Disubstituted amino acids on the other hand favor the formation of octahedral complexes with a facial arrangement of PMe3 ligands. The crystal structure of the valine complex, 2c, was obtained and, in addition to confirming the structure of the complex, showed a helical extended lattice structure due to intermolecular N–H–O bonding.