Bis(acetylacetonato)ruthenium(ii) complexes containing alkynyldiphenylphosphines. Formation and redox behaviour of [Ru(acac)2(Ph2PCCR)2] (R = H, Me, Ph) complexes and the binuclear complex cis-[{Ru(acac)2}2(µ-Ph2PCCPPh2)}2

Abstract

Two equivalents of Ph(2)PC triple bond CR (R=H, Me, Ph) react with thf solutions of cis-[Ru(acac)(2)(eta(2)-alkene)(2)] (acac=acetylacetonato; alkene=C(2)H(4), 1; C(8)H(14), 2) at room temperature to yield the orange, air-stable compounds trans-[Ru(acac)(2)(Ph(2)PC triple bond CR)(2)] (R=H, trans-3; Me=trans-4; Ph, trans-5) in isolated yields of 60-98%. In refluxing chlorobenzene, trans-4 and trans-5 are converted into the yellow, air-stable compounds cis-[Ru(acac)(2)(Ph(2)PC triple bond CR)(2)] (R=Me, cis-4; Ph, cis-5), isolated in yields of ca. 65%. From the reaction of two equivalents of Ph(2)PC triple bond CPPh(2) with a thf solution of 2 an almost insoluble orange solid is formed, which is believed to be trans-[Ru(acac)(2)(micro-Ph(2)PC triple bond CPPh(2))](n) (trans-6). In refluxing chlorobenzene, the latter forms the air-stable, yellow, binuclear compound cis-[{Ru(acac)(2)(micro-Ph(2)PC triple bond CPPh(2))}(2)] (cis-6). Electrochemical studies indicate that cis-4 and cis-5 are harder to oxidise by ca. 300 mV than the corresponding trans-isomers and harder to oxidise by 80-120 mV than cis-[Ru(acac)(2)L(2)] (L=PPh(3), PPh(2)Me). Electrochemical studies of cis-6 show two reversible Ru(II/III) oxidation processes separated by 300 mV, the estimated comproportionation constant (K(c)) for the equilibrium cis-6(2+) + cis6 <=> 2(cis-6(+)) being ca. 10(5). However, UV-Vis spectra of cis-6(+) and cis-6(2+), generated electrochemically at -50 degrees C, indicate that cis-6(+) is a Robin-Day Class II mixed-valence system. Addition of one equivalent of AgPF(6) to trans-3 and trans-4 forms the green air-stable complexes trans-3 x PF(6) and trans-4 x PF(6), respectively, almost quantitatively. The structures of trans-4, cis-4, trans-4 x PF(6) and cis-6 have been confirmed by X-ray crystallography.