A novel functionalized P,C,P pincer ligand complex

Reaction of 3,5-di(bromomethyl)nitrobenzene with di-t-butylphosphine and subsequent treatment with sodium acetate gives the novel functionalized P,C,P pincer ligand 2. Heating an isopropanol/water solution of 2 with iridium(III)chloride results in the iridium hydrochloride complex 3. This complex was characterized by X-ray structure analysis in the solid state, NMR spectroscopy in solution, and density functional calculations in the gas phase.