Equilibria between tri-ruthenium(carbonyl) clusters with face- and edge-bridging pentalene ligands: crystal and molecular structures of two isomers of [Ru3(CO)8{1,3,5-(Me3Si)3C8H3}]

Abstract

The i.r. and ¹H n.m.r. spectra of pentalene [C₈H₆, 2-RC₈H₅(R = SiMe₃, Me, Ph), and 1,3,5-(Me₃Si)₃-C₈H₃] complexes of the Ru₃(CO)₈ cluster reveal the existence of equilibria between isomers; X-ray diffraction studies of the two forms of [Ru₃(CO)₈{1,3,5-(Me₃Si)₃-C₈H₃}] show that this involves the pentalene ligand in an edge- or face-bridging configuration with respect to the tri-ruthenium cluster.