Modular Construction of a Porous Organometallic Network Based on Rhodium Olefin Complexation

We describe the rational design and synthesis of the first member of a new class of microporous materials. It is built from rhodium and a polyolefinic ligand featuring a rigid tetraphenylsilane backbone via metal olefin complexation, creating a truly organometallic network. The resulting framework, denoted as DUT-37 (Dresden University of Technology no. 37) exhibits considerable porosity and unprecedented stability under ambient conditions. Furthermore, it is catalytically active in transfer hydrogenation.