The rhodium(I) and iridium(I) complexes
3a-
6a contain the hemilabile Cp-quinolinechelate ligands
1 and
2, respectively, where the hard nitrogen donor does not displace thegood acceptor ligand ethylene. After irradiation with visible light, intensely colored complexesare obtained, where the N-donor coordinates to the metal centers. Depending on the metalatom and on the substitution pattern at the Cp rings, the mono-ethene complex with N-metalcoordination can be observed spectroscopically (e.g.,
3b) or C-H addition products areprobable intermediates. The iridium complex
6a is able to activate the aliphatic C-H bondin cyclohexane. With the rhodium complex
5a as the precatalyst, catalytic H/D exchangereactions have been performed with olefinic substrates. With linear
-olefins a fast double-bond isomerization dominates. The hemilabile ligands stabilize the catalytically active metalcomplexes without suppressing their activity significantly.