A new mechanistic path in the reaction of ruthenium trichloride with silylated cyclopentadienes. Ionic transition metal halides as desilylating agents

Abstract

The reaction of hydrated ruthenium trichloride with mono-, bis- and tris-(trimethylsilyl)cyclopentadiene in alcohol solvents leads to high yields of ruthenocene; these processes proceed through an unprecedented chloride ion-induced desilylation of the silylated Cyclopentadienes followed by reaction of Ru^III ion with cyclopentadiene, rather than the mechanistically distinct carbon–silicon bond cleavage that has been observed in other transition metal halide systems.