Rhodium(III) azide half-sandwich complexes of general formula [Rh(Cp*)(N 3 )(bpy R,R )]CF 3 SO 3 with R = H, OCH 3 were prepared in three steps in an overall yield of 55-65 %. Their stability strongly depends on the 4,4′-substituent on the 2,2′-bipyridine (bpy) ligand and increases in the order COOCH 3 < H < OCH 3 . Consequently, no stable product could be isolated for the complex with the methyl ester substituent. The title compounds easily underwent cycloaddition reactions with ethyl 4,4,4-trifluoro-2-butynoate in acetonitrile at room temperature in the absence of catalyst. The resulting triazolate products
This cover feature shows the iClick reaction of a rhodium(III) azide complex with an electron‐poor alkyne. Like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle, the two reactants just “fit together” to form the triazolate complex in good yield. This catalyst‐free room‐temperature cycloaddition reaction can easily be followed by solution IR spectroscopy, and some spectral traces are shown in the background. Details are discussed in the article by U. Schatzschneider et al. on page 3024 ff (https://doi.org/10.1002/ejic.201700199).
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.