Alkyne-coordinating tridentate ligands: structural properties and reactivity of their rhodium complexes.

Complexes of novel alkyne-chelating tridentate ligands bound to a rhodium atom were isolated and characterised. The present alkyne-rhodium complex underwent dimerisation simply by heating to afford the unprecedented cyclobutadiene dirhodium complex. It is also found that the ligands at the trans positions influence the π-coordination of alkynes.