Examination of a dicationic rhodium methyl aquo complex

A cationic rhodium aquo methyl complex, [Rh(bpy)(CH3)(H2O)3]2+·2[BF4]−, was prepared and examined for activity related to the Shilov PtII system, specifically the formation of methanol. Instead, the complex exhibited interesting behavior under basic conditions, with rare double “rollover” metalation of the coordinated bipyridine ligand and deuterium incorporation into the rhodium methyl group.