Synthesis of new rutheniumiridium heterobimetallic complexes via ring-opening reactions of bidentate phosphine ligands and tridentate phosphine ligand: crystal structure of [(C5H5)Ru(μ-CO)2{μ-Ph2PN(H)PPh2}IrCl2]

Treatment of [Ru(C5H5)Cl(dppm)] (1) [dppm=1,1-bis(diphenylphosphino)methane], [Ru(C5H5)Cl(dppen)] (2) [dppen=1,1-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethene] or [Ru(C5H5)Cl(dppa)] (3) [dppa=1,1-bis(diphenylphosphino)amine] with [IrCl(CO)2(p-toluidine)] leads to the formation of the heterobimetallic complexes [(C5H5)Ru(μ-CO)2{μ-L}IrCl2] (L=dppm 4, dppen 5 or dppa 6) in high yield. The structure of [(C5H5)Ru(μ-CO)2{μ-Ph2PN(H)PPh2}IrCl2] (6) has been determined by X-ray diffraction. The uncoordinated phosphine group of [Ru(C5H5)Cl{(PPh2)2CHCH2PPh2}] (7) reacts with [IrCl(CO)2(p-toluidine)] to give [(C5H5)RuCl{(PPh2)2CHCH2PPh2}Ir(CO)2Cl] (8). Treatment of the heterobimetallic complex 8 with Me3NO·2H2O affords [(C5H5)RrCl2] (9).