Selective One-pot Synthesis of Facial Tris-ortho-metalated Iridium(III) Complexes Using Microwave Irradiation

We report on a novel synthesis method for the production of two facial tris-ortho-metalated iridium(III) complexes, fac-[Ir(ppy)3] (1a; ppyH = 2-phenylpyridine) and fac-[Ir(tpy)3] (1b; tpyH = 2-(p-tolyl)pyridine), by the reaction of IrCl3·3H2O with a large excess of the corresponding 2-arylpyridine under microwave irradiation. The method does not require a dehalogenating reagent such as AgCF3SO3, and facial tris-ortho-metalated iridium(III) complexes can be obtained rapidly, selectively and efficiently.