Ligand-Controlled Chemoselectivity in the Classical Oxidative Addition Reactions of MeI and Aldehydes to Rhodium(I) Complexes

The strikingly different reactivity of similar complexes of the type [PnRhX] is strongly dependent on the number and nature of the trialkylphosphane (P) and of the anionic ligand (X), and can be selectively directed to the oxidative addition of either aldehydes or MeI [Eqs. (1) and (2)].