The complexes of rhodium with N-phenyl anthranilic acid and anthranilic acid were synthesised and their structure was investigated with infrared spectroscopy. It appears that rhodium interacts with N-phenyl anthranilic acid via the carboxyl and the amine groups. With anthranilic acid, the bond with the amine could not be unambiguously established. X-ray diffraction and elemental analysis data suggest that the complexes are not pure and that the presence of Rh(0) is likely. Catalytic hydrogenation results and mercury poisoning experiments confirm the presence of Rh(0). (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.