Addition of C₂(CO₂Me)₂ to trans-MeIr(CO)(PPh₃)₂. Formation and isomerization of MeIr(CO)(PPh₃)₂[C₂(CO₂Me)₂], and crystal structure of the thermodynamic isomer

The reaction of C₂(CO₂Me)₂ with trans-MeIr(CO)(PPh₃)₂ leads to a kinetic isomer which has been characterized by ¹H and ³¹P NMR and infrared spectra and to a thermodynamic isomer which has been characterized by ¹H and ³¹P NMR, infrared, microanalysis and X-ray crystallography. The isomerization occurs readily in solution at room temperature; somewhat more slowly at -20°C. The thermodynamically stable isomer of MeIr(CO)(PPh₃)₂[C₂(CO₂Me)₂] crystallizes in the centrosymmetric monoclinic space group P2₁/c with a 14.847(2), b 16.648(2), c 15.656(3) Å, β 90.595(14)°, V 3869.7(11) ų and Z = 4. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction data were collected with a Syntex P2₁ automated diffractometer (Mo-K_α radiation, 2θ 5-40°) and the structure was solved and refined to R_F 8.6% for all 3631 independent data (R_F 4.0% for those 2318 data with |F_o| > 6σ(|F_o|)). The Ir^I center has a trigonal-bipyramidal environment with the methyl ligand and one PPh₃ ligand occupying axial sites (Ir-Me 2.193(14), Ir-P(1) 2.425(4) Å). The C₂(CO₂Me)₂ ligand is π-bonded to the iridium atom and lies with its triple bond parallel to the equatorial coordination plane; the equatorial ligands are completed by the second PPh₃ ligand (Ir-P(2) 2.402(3) Å) and a CO ligand (Ir-CO 1.812(15) Å).