Binuclear ruthenium complexes of fluorous phosphine ligands: Synthesis, properties, and biphasic catalytic activity. Crystal structure of [Ru(μ-O 2CMe)(CO) 2P(CH 2CH 2(CF 2) 5CF 3) 3] 2

Abstract

The fluorocarbon soluble, binuclear ruthenium(I) complexes [Ru(μ-O 2CMe)(CO) 2L F] 2, where L F is the perfluoroalkyl substituted tertiary phosphine, P(C 6H 4-4-CH 2CH 2(CF 2) 7CF 3) 3, or P(CH 2CH 2(CF 2) 5CF 3) 3, were synthesized and partition coefficients for the complexes in fluorocarbon/hydrocarbon biphases were determined. Catalytic hydrogenation of acetophenone to 1-phenylethanol in benzotrifluoride at 105 °C occured in the presence of either [Ru(μ-O 2CMe)(CO) 2P(C 6H 4-4-CH 2CH 2(CF 2) 7CF 3) 3] 2 ( 1) or [Ru(μ-O 2CMe)(CO) 2P(CH 2CH 2(CF 2) 5CF 3) 3] 2 ( 2). The X-ray crystal structure of [Ru(μ-O 2CMe)(CO) 2P(CH 2CH 2(CF 2) 5CF 3) 3] 2 was determined. The compound exhibited discrete regions of fluorous and non-fluorous packing.