Mercury derivatives of exo-nido-ruthenacarborane

Symmetrical mercury derivative of exo-nido-ruthenacarborane was prepared by two routes: mercuration of exo-nido-5,6,10-[Cl(Ph3P)2Ru]-5,6,10-(μ-H)3-10-H-7,8-C2B9H8 (1) and interaction of Ru(PPh3)3Cl2 with [10,10′-Hg-(7,8-C2B9H11)2]Cs2. Using o-carboran-9-ylmercury trifluoroacetate for mercuration of 1 leads to an unsymmetrical mercury compound with 9-o-carboranyl and exo-nido-ruthenacarboranyl ligands: 5′,6′,10′-exo-nido-[Cl(Ph3P)2Ru]-5′,6′,10′-(μ-H)3-10′-(1,2-C2B10H11Hg-9)-7′,8′-C2B9H8 (4). The same compound was prepared by the action of Ru(PPh3)3Cl2 on [9,10′-Hg-(1,2-C2B10H11)(7′,8′-C2B9H11)]Cs (5). Both types of new compounds were obtained as a mixture of cis/trans isomers which were separated and characterized by elemental analysis and NMR spectra. The X-ray structure of trans-5′,6′,10′-exo-nido-[Cl(Ph3P)2Ru]-5′,6′,10′-(μ-H)3-10′-(1,2-C2B10H11Hg-9)-7′,8′-C2B9H8 (4b) was determined.