Mercury—ruthenium mixed-metal carbonyl clusters containing 2-amido-6-methylpyridine (ampy) as a μ 3,η 2-ligand. Crystal structures of [Ru 6(μ 4-Hg)(μ 3-ampy) 2(CO) 18]·2C 4H 8O and [Ru 3(μ-HgBr)(μ 3-ampy)(CO) 9

Abstract

The cluster [Ru 3(μ-H)(μ 3-ampy)(CO) 9] ( 1) (Hampy = 2-amino-6-methylpyridine) reacts with HgPh 2 to give [Ru 6(μ 4-Hg)(μ 3-ampy) 2(CO) 18] ( 2). An X-ray diffraction study of the solvate 2·2THF has shown it to contain two “Ru 3(μ 3-ampy)(CO) 9” moieties bridged by a mercury atom which is bonded to the two NH-bridged ruthenium atoms of each trinuclear moiety. Complex 2 reacts with mercury(II) halides to give [Ru 3(μ-HgX)(μ 3-ampy)(CO 9](X = Cl( 3), Br( 4), I( 5)). The cystal structure of cluster 4 shows it to contain a HgBr fragment spanning the same RuRu edge as the amido group of the ampy ligand. Some reactions of the clusters 2 and 3 are also described.