Synthesis of RuHCl(CO)(Hdmpz)(L)2 (L=PPh3, AsPh3, and Hdmpz=3,5-dimethylpyrazole) and crystal structure of RuHCl(CO)(Hdmpz)(AsPh3)2

Treatment of RuHCl(CO)(L)₃ with a slight excess amount of K[HB(3,5-Me₂pz)₃] in boiling MeOH solution yielded unusual 3,5-dimethylpyrzaole (Hdmpz) complexes, RuHCl(CO)(Hdmpz)(L)₂ (L=PPh₃, 1 or AsPh₃, 2). Unexpectedly the dissociation of the bonds between the boron atom and the nitrogen atoms of the potentially tridentate [HB(3,5-Me₂pz)₃]⁻ ligand during the coordination of the ligand to the Ru^II metal has been observed. In a separate preparation, the RuHCl(CO)(Hdmpz)(PPh₃)₂ complex has also been synthesized from the reaction between RuHCl(CO)(PPh₃)₃ and the monodentate Hdmpz ligand. Complexes 1 and 2 have been characterized by elemental analysis, IR and ¹H NMR spectroscopies. Compound 1 has also been prepared by the reaction between RuHCl(CO)(PPh₃)₃ and K[H₂B(3,5-Me₂pz)₂] in boiling toluene solution. The crystal structure of 2 has been studied by X-ray crystallography. The geometrical structure around Ru^II of 2 is a distorted octahedral structure. The crystal structure of 2 consists of a discrete monomeric compound. It is interesting to find that the sterically-demanding [HB(3,5-Me₂pz)₃]⁻ or [H₂B(3,5-Me₂pz)₂]⁻ ligands break up during the reaction with the Ru^II complexes to form the neutral 3,5-dimethylpyrazole complexes. In contrast to these observations, [H₂Bpz₂]⁻ and [H₂B(4-Brpz)₂]⁻ ligands form very stable Ru^II complexes.