Piano-stool inversion in arene complexes of Ru(ii): modelling the transition state

Abstract

In the solid-state, the [RuH(arene)(Binap)]CF₃SO₃, complexes, 1, arene = η⁶-benzene and 2, arene = η⁶-toluene, distort markedly from a classical three-legged piano-stool structure with the former having the P–Ru–P plane approximately perpendicular to the plane of the arene; this structure for 1 is what one would expect for a transition state leading from one diastereomer to another via inversion at ruthenium.