Syntheses, X-ray structures, and reactions of ruthenium carbonyl complexes containing 1,1-dithiolates

Treatment of [Ru2(CO)4(MeCN)6][BF4]2 or [Ru2(CO)4(μ-O2CMe)2(MeCN)2] with uni-negative 1,1-dithiolate anions via potassium dimethyldithiocarbamate, sodium diethyldithiocarbamate, potassium tert-butylthioxanthate, and ammonium O,O′-diethylthiophosphate gives both monomeric and dimeric products of cis-[Ru(CO)2(η2-(SS))2] ((SS)−=Me2NCS2− (1), Et2NCS2− (2), tBuSCS2− (3), (EtO)2PS2− (4)) and [Ru(CO)(η2-(Me2NCS2))(μ,η2-Me2NCS2)]2 (5). The lightly stabilized MeCN ligands of [Ru2(CO)4(MeCN)6][BF4]2 are replaced more readily than the bound acetate ligands of [Ru2(CO)4(μ-O2CMe)2(MeCN)2] by thiolates to produce cis-[Ru(CO)2(η2-(SS))2] with less selectivity. Structures 1 and 5 were determined by X-ray crystallography. Although the two chelating dithiolates are cis to each other in 1, the dithiolates are trans to each other in each of the {Ru(CO)(η2-Me2NCS2)2} fragment of 5. The dimeric product 5 can be prepared alternatively from the decarbonylation reaction of 1 with a suitable amount of Me3NO in MeCN. However, the dimer [Ru(CO)(η2-Et2NCS2)(μ,η2-Et2NCS2)]2 (6), prepared from the reaction of 2 with Me3NO, has a structure different from 5. The spectral data of 6 probably indicate that the two chelating dithiolates are cis to each other in one {Ru(CO)(η2-Et2NCS2)2}fragment but trans in the other. Both 5 and 6 react readily at ambient temperature with benzyl isocyanide to yield cis-[Ru(CO)(CNCH2Ph)(η2-(SS))2] ((SS)=Me2NCS2− (7) and Et2NCS2− (8)). A dimerization pathway for cis-[Ru(CO)2(η2-(SS))2] via decabonylation and isomerization is proposed.