Dalton communications. Desulfurization of thiophenes with ruthenium clusters

Abstract

The cluster [Ru₃(CO)₁₂] reacts with 2-methylthiophene in refluxing tetrahydrofuran to give products of oxidative addition by C–H cleavage, [Ru₃(µ-H)(µ-C₄H₂MeS)(CO)₁₀](exo and endo), as well as two compounds derived by S–C bond cleavage, [Ru₂(µ-C₄H₃Me)(CO)₆] and [Ru₄(µ₃-S)(µ-C₄H₃Me)(CO)₁₁](X-ray structure determined), this being the first example of the fragmentation of a thiophene to leave both the inorganic and the organic fragments, S and C₄H₃Me, co-ordinated in the same organometallic compound.