Chlorido(dimethyl 2,2′-bi­pyridine-4,4′-di­carboxyl­ate-κ²N,N′)(η⁵-penta­methyl­cyclo­penta­dien­yl)rhodium(III) chloride 1-hy­droxy­pyrrolidine-2,5-dione disolvate

The title complex, [Rh(C₁₀H₁₅)Cl(C₁₄H₁₂N₂O₄)]Cl·2C₄H₅NO₃, has been synthesized by a substitution reaction of the precursor [bis­(2,5-dioxopyrrolidin-1-yl) 2,2′-bi­pyridine-4,4′-di­­carboxyl­ate]chlorido(penta­methyl­cyclo­penta­dien­yl)rhodium(III) chloride with NaOCH₃. The Rh^III cation is located in an RhC₅N₂Cl eight-coordinated environment. In the crystal, 1-hy­droxy­pyrrolidine-2,5-dione (NHS) solvent mol­ecules form strong hydrogen bonds with the Cl⁻ counter-anions in the lattice and weak hydrogen bonds with the penta­methyl­cyclo­penta­dienyl (Cp*) ligands. Hydrogen bonding between the Cp* ligands, the NHS solvent mol­ecules and the Cl⁻ counter-anions form links in a V-shaped chain of Rh^III com­plex cations along the c axis. Weak hydrogen bonds between the dimethyl 2,2′-bi­pyridine-4,4′-di­carboxyl­ate lig­ands and the Cl⁻ counter-anions connect the components into a supra­molecular three-dimensional net­work. The synthetic route to the dimethyl 2,2′-bi­pyridine-4,4′-di­carboxyl­ate-containing rhodium complex from the [bis­(2,5-dioxopyrroli­din-1-yl) 2,2′-bi­pyridine-4,4′-di­carboxyl­ate]rho­dium(III) pre­cursor may be applied to link Rh catalysts to the surface of electrodes.