Catalytic Activity of Dicationic Platinum(II) and Rhodium(II) Complexes towards 9-Diazofluorene

9-Diazofluorene (DAF) is catalytically decomposed at 25 degreesC in CH2Cl2 in the presence of 1 mol% of the dicationic platinum(II) complex cis-[Pt(PPh3)(2)(CH3CN)(2)][BF4](2) (1) to give the olefin product 9,9 ' -bifluorenylidene in high yield. Furthermore, DAF undergoes an insertion reaction into the O-H bond of methanol at 25 degreesC in CH2Cl2/MeOH (DAF/MeOH molar ratio 1/20) in the presence of 1 mol%, of 1 to give 9-methoxyfluorene in excellent yield. With neutral or cationic dirhodium(II) complexes as catalysts the same reaction yields further products, suggesting the existence of different parallel reaction pathways.