Making and breaking of carbon–carbon bonds at a di-iron or di-ruthenium centre: X-ray structure of [Ru2(CO)(µ-CO){µ-η1,η3-C(O)C2Ph2}(η-C5H5)2]

Abstract

Dimetallocycles [M₂(CO)(µ-CO){η-η¹,η³-C(O)C₂Ph₂}(η-C₅H₅)₂](M = Fe, R = H, Me, Ph, CO₂Me; M = Ru, R = H, Me, Ph) have been obtained either by u.v. irradiation of an alkyne with [{M(CO)₂(η-C₅H₅)}₂] or through thermal alkyne exchange with [Ru₂(CO)(µ-CO){µ-η¹,η³-C(O)C₂Ph₂}(η-C₅H₅)₂]; the structure of the complexes, whose fluxionality has been shown to involve low energy carbon–carbon bond making and breaking, was established through an X-ray diffraction study of [Ru₂(CO)(µ-CO){µ-η¹,η³-C(O)C₂Ph₂}(η-C₅H₅)₂].