The preparation of hydridopentammine- and hydridoaquotetramminerhodium(III) sulphates and other salts; the formation of alkyl and fluoroalkyl derivatives

The action of metallic zinc on ammoniacal solutions of chloropentamminerhodium chloride in presence of sulphate ion leads to the formation of hydridopentamminerhodium(III) sulphate. Several other salts of the cation have been prepared.The pentammine undergoes an aquation reaction to form the aquo-ion [Rh(NH3)4(H2O)H]2+ in which the water is trans to the hydrido-group.The interaction of the hydrido-species with ethylene, propene, and but-I-ene and with tetrafluoroethylene and other fluoro-olefins has been studied and crystalline salts have been isolated. The i.r. and n.m.r. spectra of certain of these species are given, and the electronic spectra discussed.