Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 22, 2026

Preparation and Use of Carbonyl-decorated Carbenes in the Activation of White Phosphorus
Published on: October 3, 2014
(Acetyl-acetonato-κ(2)O,O')[(2-bromo-phen-yl)diphenyl-phosphane-κP]carbonyl-rhodium(I)
Wade L Davis1, Reinout Meijboom
1Research Center for Synthesis and Catalysis, Department of Chemistry, University of Johannesburg (APK Campus), PO Box 524, Auckland Park, Johannesburg 2006, South Africa.
Abstract:
In the title compound, [Rh(C(5)H(7)O(2))(C(18)H(14)BrP)(CO)], the Rh(I) atom adopts a slightly distorted square-planar geometry involving two O atoms [Rh-O = 2.077 (2) and 2.033 (2) Å] of the acetyl-acetonate ligand, one carbonyl C atom [Rh-C = 1.813 (2) Å] and one P atom [Rh-P = 2.242 (5) Å] of the PPh(2)(2-BrC(6)H(4)) phosphane ligand. Difference electron density maps indicate a disorder of the Br atom over two positions in an approximate 0.95:0.05 ratio. However, this disorder could not be resolved satisfactorily with the present data.
Related Concept Videos
α-Bromination of Carboxylic Acids: Hell–Volhard–Zelinski Reaction
Carboxylic Acids to Acid Chlorides
ortho–para-Directing Activators: –CH3, –OH, –⁠NH2, –OCH3
Structures of Carboxylic Acid Derivatives
Carboxylic acid derivatives contain an acyl group attached to a heteroatom such as chlorine, oxygen, or nitrogen. The carbonyl carbon and oxygen are both sp2-hybridized with an unhybridized p orbital.
The three sp2 orbitals of the carbonyl carbon form three σ bonds, one each with the carbonyl oxygen, the α carbon, and the heteroatom, whereas the other two sp2 orbitals of the carbonyl oxygen are occupied by the lone pairs. Further, the unhybridized p...
Preparation of Acid Anhydrides
The carboxylate ion acts as a nucleophile that attacks the carbonyl carbon of the acid chloride to form a tetrahedral intermediate. Subsequently, the re-formation of the carbonyl group with the loss of the chloride ion as a leaving group leads to the formation of an acid...
Reactions of Carboxylic Acids: Introduction

