Intermolecular association of cyanide substituted triruthenium carbonyl cluster anions: synthesis and crystal structure of [ppn]2[Ru6(CN)2(CO)20][ppn = bis(triphenylphosphine)iminium cation]

Abstract

[ppn][CN][ppn = bis(triphenylphosphine)iminium cation] reacts with Ru₃(CO)₁₂ to give a cyano triruthenium carbonyl cluster anion which subsequently loses CO and dimerizes as the hexanuclear dianion [Ru₆(µ-CN)₂(CO)₂₀]^2–; an X-ray structural analysis shows that the structure involves two parallel ruthenium triangles linked by two axial CN bridges.