Reactions of 1,8-bis(diphenylphosphino)naphthalene with ruthenium cluster carbonyls: C–H and C–P bond cleavage reactions

Reactions between Ru3(CO)12 and 1,8-bis(diphenylphosphino)naphthalene (dppn) have given the four complexes Ru3(μ-H){μ3-PPh2(nap)PPh(C6H4)}(CO)8 (1), Ru4(μ-H){μ3-PPh2(nap)PPh(C6H4)}(μ-CO)3(CO)7 (2) and Ru4(μ-H)(μ3-C6H4){μ-PPh(nap)PPh2}(CO)11 (3) (in refluxing thf), and Ru4{μ4-P(nap)PPh2}(μ4-C6H4)(μ-CO)(CO)9 (4) (in refluxing toluene) which have been characterised by single crystal X-ray studies. They have been formed by aryl C–H and aryl C–P bond cleavage reactions, presumably from an initial (unobserved) chelate dppn complex. The unchanged chelating ligand is found in Ru3(μ-dppm)(CO)8(dppn) (5), obtained from Ru3(μ-dppm)(CO)10 and dppn in refluxing thf.