Preparation and reactivity of half-sandwich hydrazine complexes of ruthenium and osmium

Hydrazine complexes [MCl(η⁶-p-cymene)(RNHNH₂)L]BPh₄ (1–6) [M = Ru, Os; R = H, Me, Ph; L = P(OEt)₃, PPh(OEt)₂, PPh₂OEt] were prepared by allowing dichloro complexes MCl₂(η⁶-p-cymene)L to react with hydrazines RNHNH₂ in the presence of NaBPh₄. Treatment of ruthenium complexes [RuCl(η⁶-p-cymene)(RNHNH₂)L]BPh₄ with Pb(OAc)₄ led to acetate complex [Ru(κ²–O₂CCH₃)(η⁶-p-cymene)L]BPh₄ (7). Instead, the reaction of osmium derivatives [OsCl(η⁶-p-cymene)(CH₃NHNH₂)L]BPh₄ with Pb(OAc)₄ afforded the methyldiazenido complex [Os(CH₃N₂)(η⁶-p-cymene)L}]BPh₄ (8). Treatment with HCl of this diazenido complex 8 led to the methyldiazene cation [OsCl(CH₃NNH)(η⁶-p-cymene)L}]⁺ (9⁺). The complexes were characterised spectroscopically and by X-ray crystal structure determination of [OsCl(η⁶-p-cymene)(PhNHNH₂){PPh(OEt)₂}]BPh₄ (6b) and [Ru(κ²–O₂CCH₃)(η⁶-p-cymene){PPh(OEt)₂}]BPh₄ (7b).