Oxidation of the ruthenium hydride complex (.eta.5-C5H5)Ru(CO)(PPh3)H: generation of a dihydrogen complex by oxidatively induced intermolecular proton transfer

Abstract

Ruthenium hydride (η 5 -C 5 H 5 ) Ru(CO)(PPh 3 )H (1) undergoes a chemically irreversible oxidation at +0.39 V vs the ferrocene/ferrocenium couple. Oxidation of 1 with (η 5 -C 5 H 5 ) 2 Fe + PF 6 − in dichloromethane-d 2 yields the known dihydrogen complex (η 5 -C 5 H 5 )Ru(CO)(PPh 3 )(η 2 -H 2 ) + as a primary decomposition product. Ferrocenium oxidation of 1 in acetonitrile-d 3 yielded (η 5 -C 5 H 5 )Ru(CO)(PPh 3 )(NCCD 3 ) + HRu(CO)(PPh 3 )(NCCD 3 ) 3 + , and cyclopentadiene