Binuclear ruthenium complexes containing bridging dithiolate and dppm ligands:: X-ray structures of [Ru2(CO)4(μ-SCH2CH2CH2S)(μ-dppm)] and [Ru2(CO)4{(μ-SC6H3(CH3)S}(μ-dppm)]

The reactions of [Ru-3(CO)(10)(mu-dppm)] (4) with 1.2-ethanedithiol, 1.3-propanedithiol and 3,4-toluenedithiol in refluxing THF afforded the dinuclear dithiolato complexes [Ru-2(CO)(4)(mu-SCH2CH2S)(mu-dppm)] (5), [Ru-2(CO)(4)(mu-SCHCH2CH2S)(t-dppm)] (6) and [Ru-2(CO)(4){mu-SC6H3(CH3)S}(mu-dppm)] (7), respectively. Protonation of complexes 5 and 6 by tetrafluoroboric acid in CD2Cl2 resulted in the formation of cationic hydrido complexes [(mu-H)Ru-2(CO)(4)(mu-SCH2CH2S)(mu-dppm)](+) (8) and [Ru-2-(CO)(4)(VSCH2CH2CH2S)(mu-dppm)](+) (9) isolated as their PF6- salts. Compounds 5 and 6 are also obtained from the reactions of dppm with [Ru-2(CO)(6)(mu-SCH2CH2S)] (10) and [Ru-2(CO)(6)(mu-SCHCH2CH2S)] (11), respectively. Protonation of 10 and 11 with tetrafluroboric acid gives the mono-protronated species [(mu-H)Ru-2(CO)(6)(p-SCH2CH2S)](+) (12) and [(mu-H)Ru-2(CO)(6)(mu-SCH2CH2CH2S)](+) (13), respectively. All the compounds have been characterised by IR, H-1 NMR, P-31{H-1} and mass spectroscopic data, together with single crystal X-ray diffraction studies for 6 and 7. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.