Auration of Ru3(m-H)(m3-C2H)(CO)9: tetrahedral and butterfly isomers of AuRu3(m-H)(m3-HC2H)(CO)9(PPh3) and related chemistry

Abstract

Treatment of [Ru3(µ-H)(µ3-C2H)(CO)9] 1 with K[BHBus3] followed by auration with [AuCl(PPh3)] gave the crystallographically characterised complexes [AuRu3(µ-H)(µ3-C2H2)(CO)9(PPh3)] 2, [Au2Ru3(µ3-CCH2)(CO)9(PPh3)2] 3 and [Ru3(µ-H){µ3-CHCHC(OH)}(CO)8(PPh3)] 4. Complex 2 crystallises in a dark red form, in which the AuRu3 core forms a tetrahedron, and a yellow form, in which the AuRu3 core has a butterfly structure; the C2H2 ligand is 212 co-ordinated to the Ru3 face in both. In 3 the Au2Ru3 core has a distorted square pyramidal conformation, with the CCH2 ligand attached to the Ru3 face. Complex 4 contains a hydroxyallyl ligand spanning the Ru3 core.