Phosphido-bridged Ta/Rh bimetallic complex: synthesis, structure, and catalytic hydrosilylation of acetophenone.

Reaction of Cp2TaH3 (1) with ClPEt2 gives the insertion product [Cp2TaH2(PHEt2)]Cl (5), which upon deprotonation with LiN(SiMe3)2 affords the phosphido complex Cp2TaH2(PEt2) (6) as the kinetic product. The latter transforms by a first-order reaction during the course of 3.5 days to the phosphine complex Cp2TaH(PHEt2) (7).