The metal-alkene bond in di-µ-chloro-tetra(ethene)dirhodium(I): direct evidence for the Dewar–Chatt–Duncanson model using X-ray emission and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies

Abstract

Changes in carbon-K_αX-ray emission spectrum of ethane upon complex formation: together with the alignment of the X-ray photoelectron spectrum of the complex show that ethene both donates charge from the π orbital to rhodium 4d orbitals and also forms bonds in which charge is ‘back-donated’ from the rhodium 4d irbitals to the alkene π* orbital, as predicted by the Dewar–Chatt–Duncanson model.