Reaction of Ru3(CO)12 with supermesityldiphosphene: a new type of reaction of a Group 8 transition metal carbonyl with a diphosphene

The reaction of (E)-bis(2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl)diphosphene with Ru3(CO)12 results in cleavage of the PP bond with concomitant CH activation of one of the t-butyl groups to form Ru3(μ-H)2(CO)8(μ-P-C6H2-2,4-tBu2-6-CMe2CH2)2. The H-atoms have transferred from the ligand to the metal core.