Rhodium( ii ) dimers without metal–metal bonds

Oxidation of ((Me)BDI)Rh(cyclooctene) ((Me)BDI = [2,6-Me(2)C(6)H(3)NCMe](2)CH) with Br(2) or I(2) produces paramagnetic halide-bridged Rh(II) dimers [((Me)BDI)Rh](2)(μ-X)(2) without a direct Rh-Rh bond. Steric factors are proposed to play a key role in preventing the formation of Rh-Rh bonded alternative structures.