Chemistry of the metal carbonyls. Part XL. Carbonylation of ruthenium trichloride

Abstract

Carbonylation of ruthenium trichloride in methanol affords white dimeric [Ru(CO)₃Cl₂]₂and Ru₃(CO)₁₂. Crystallisation of the carbonyl chloride from tetrahydrofuran gives the complex C₄H₈O,Ru(CO)₃Cl₂, while sublimation yields a yellow isomeri carbonyl chloride. Treatment of the tetrahydrofuran adduct with donor ligands leads to evolution of CO and precipitation of complexes of the type L₂Ru(CO)₂Cl₂. The carbonyl Ru₃(CO)₁₂ is obtained in high yield by carbonylating ruthenium trichloride in methanol at CO pressures of up to 10 atm., with zinc as a halogen acceptor.