We
report on the synthesis of an alkane-soluble Zintl cluster,
[η
4
-Ge
9
(Hyp)
3
]Rh(COD), that
can catalytically hydrogenate cyclic alkenes such as 1,5-cyclooctadiene
and
cis
-cyclooctene. This is the first example of
a well-defined Zintl-cluster-based homogeneous catalyst.