Boron–carbon bond formation at an interstitial boron atom: molecular structure of [HRu4(CO)12B(H)C(Ph)CHPh]

Abstract

Upon photolysis, the tetraruthenaborane butterfly cluster [HRu₄(CO)₁₂BH₂] reacts with diphenylacetylene to produce [HRu₄(CO)₁₂B(H)C(Ph)CHPh] in good yield and insertion of the alkyne into the cluster is accompanied by (i) B–H bond activation, (ii) B-C bond formation and (iii) Ru_hinge–Ru_wing bond cleavage; the crystallographic structural characterisation and solution NMR spectroscopic properties of [HRu₄(CO)₁₂B(H)C(Ph)CHPh] are reported.