COMMUNICATIONS T = 25 "C, t = 3.5 h) also showed that complex 1 is able to perform more than 36 000 (yield 99.9 YO) without loss of activity.In order to rule out the participation in the catalysis of free, solvated [Rh(PPh,),]+ or similar cationic species formed by dissociation of complex 1, two independent experiments were made. First. the addition of four equivalents of Cs-2 did not alter the rate of reaction, which suggests that the common ion effect is absent. Second, hydrogenation experiments with added D,O provided further evidence to eliminate this hypothesis. If [Rh(PPh,),]+ or a related species were present, partially deuterated hexane would be found.["' By GC-MS analysis it was shown that the hexane formed in the reaction was not deuterium-enriched.The first e.w-monothiocarborane rhodium complex has been synthesized, and it catalyzed the hydrogenation of 1 -hexene eight times faster than Wilkinson's catalyst. The thioether group directly bonded to the cluster's open face enables discrimination between upper and lower belt B-H groups, leading to the formation of a B(l I)-H-Rh bond. This supports the initial hypothesis that the favoring of an exo-nido upper-belt form would readily enhance the hydrogenation activity of a rhodacarborane molecule.
Experimental Procedure