Oxidative addition of SiH4 and GeH4 to Ir(PPh3)2(CO)Cl: structural and spectroscopic evidence for the formation of products derived from cis oxidative addition.

X-ray diffraction studies demonstrate that oxidative addition of SiH(4) to Ir(PPh(3))(2)(CO)Cl yields Ir(PPh(3))(2)(CO)(Cl)(SiH(3))H, which features a cis arrangement of the SiH(3) and H ligands in which H is located trans to CO, rather than trans to Cl as originally reported. (1)H NMR spectroscopic studies indicate that oxidative addition of GeH(4) to Ir(PPh(3))(2)(CO)Cl also occurs in a cis manner but results in the formation of two isomers of Ir(PPh(3))(2)(CO)(Cl)(GeH(3))H, which are related by H being trans to either CO or Cl.