Further investigations on C-C bond formation at the diruthenium aminocarbyne complexes [Ru2{μ-CN(Me)R}(μ-CO)(CO)2(Cp)2]SO3CF3 (R = Me, CH2Ph) and molecular structure of [Ru2(μ-CNMe2)(μ-CO)(COPh)(CO)(Cp)2]

The reactions of [Ru-2{mu-CN(Me)R}(mu-CO)(CO)(2)(Cp)(2)]SO3CF3 (R = Me 1a, CH2Ph 1b; Cp = eta-C5H5) with Li2Cu(CN)R'(2) (R'=Me,Bu-n,Ph) result in C-C bond formation at the CO ligand affording the acyl complexes [Ru-2{mu-CN(Me)R}(mu-CO)(COR')(CO)(Cp)(2)] 2. The crystal structure of [Ru-2{mu-CNMe2)(mu-CO)(COPh)(CO)(Cp)(2)] 2a reveals the double bond character of the mu-C=N group and the interligand interaction involving the acyl oxygen and the mu-CNMe2 moiety. Type 2 complexes are also formed by reacting 1a-b with LiR' (R' = Me, Bu-n, Ph), whereas reactions with ClMgCH2Ph yield both [Ru-2{mu-CN(Me)R}(mu-CO)(COCH2Ph)(CO)(Cp)(2)] and [Ru-2{mu-CN(Me)R}(mu-CO)(CO)(2)(eta(4)-C5H5CH2Ph)(Cp)]. A comparison of the reactivity of 1a-b with that of the corresponding diiron complexes [Fe-2{mu-CN(Me)R}(mu-CO)(CO)(2)(Cp)(2)]SO3CF3 is also presented. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.