The reactions of 1-benzyl-4-((phenylthio/phenylseleno)methyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazole (L1/L2) and 4-phenyl-1-((phenylthio/phenylseleno)methyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazole (L3/L4), synthesized
using the click reaction, with [(η5-Cp*)RhCl(μ-Cl)]2 and [(η5-Cp*)IrCl(μ-Cl)]2 at room temperature followed by treatment with NH4PF6 result in complexes of the type [[(η5-Cp*)M(L)Cl] (1–8). Their HR-MS
and 1H, 13C{1H}, and 77Se{1H} NMR spectra have been found characteristic. The
single-crystal structures of 2, 3, and 6 have been established by X-ray crystallography. There is
a pseudo-octahedral “piano-stool” disposition of donor
atoms around Rh/Ir. In 1, 2, 5, and 6 N(3) of the triazole skeleton coordinates with
Rh/Ir, whereas in the other four complexes the nitrogen involved is
N(2). These complexes have been explored as catalysts for N-methylmorpholine N-oxide (NMO) based
and Oppenauer-type oxidation of alcohols and transfer hydrogenation
(TH) of carbonyl compounds with 2-propanol. Oppenauer type oxidation
is somewhat slower than that based on NMO. The homogeneous nature
of TH is supported by a poisoning test. The catalytic processes are
more efficient with Rh complexes than the corresponding Ir complexes.
The complexes having N(2) coordinated with the metal have shown better
activity than those in which N(3) is involved in ligation. The reactivity
with respect to ligands is in the order Se > S. In TH the species
formed with loss of Cp* appears to be involved in catalysis with Rh
as well as Ir complexes. Such a loss is noticed in the case of Rh
for the first time. Generally results of DFT calculations are consistent
with the experimental results.