An iridium complex with an unsupported Ir-Zn bond: di-iodido-(η5-penta-methyl-cyclo-penta-dien-yl)bis-(tri-methyl-phosphane)iridiumzinc(Ir-Zn) benzene hemisolvate.

The title compound, [IrZnI2(C10H15)(C3H9P)2]·0.5C6H6 or [Cp*(PMe3)2Ir]-[ZnI2] (Cp* = cyclo-C5Me5) was obtained and characterized as its benzene solvate [Cp*(PMe3)2Ir]-[ZnI2]·0.5C6H6. The bimetallic complex in this structure contains the Lewis-acidic fragment ZnI2 bonded to the Lewis-basic fragment Cp*(PMe3)2Ir, with an Ir-Zn bond distance of 2.452 (1) Å. The compound was obtained by reacting [Cp*(PMe3)IrI2] with 2-Ad2Zn (2-Ad = 2-adamant-yl), resulting in the reduction of the IrIII complex and formation of the IrI-ZnII adduct. The crystal studied was a twin by non-merohedry with a refined BASF parameter of 0.223 (1).