Selective alkane C–C bond cleavage via prior dehydrogenation by a transition metal complex

1,1-Dimethylcyclopentane is dehydrogenated to form [(η4-C5H4Me2)IrL2]+[L =(p-FC6H4)3P] and then rearranged to give [(η5-C5H4Me)Ir(Me)L2]+ by [IrH2(Me2CO)2L2]+, the first case of homogeneous C–C bond cleavage starting from an alkane with a transition metal complex.