The chemistry of polynuclear compounds. Part 28. The question of isomerism in tridecacarbonyldihydrido- and dodecacarbonyltetrahydrido-tetraruthenium

Abstract

Synthetic routes to the α and β isomers of [Ru₄(CO)₁₃H₂] and [Ru₄(CO)₁₂H₄] have been reinvestigated and the products examined using ¹H Fourier-transform n.m.r. spectroscopy. Whilst a number of these routes, notably the reaction of Na[BH₄] with [Ru₃(CO)₁₂] and the carbonylation of methanolic and ethanolic solutions of RuCl₃, have led to the characterisation of hydridoruthenium clusters, e.g.[Ru₃(CMe)(CO)₉H₃] and [Ru₃(C₂H₂)(CO)₉H₂], no evidence has been found to support the existence of the β isomers.