Ruthenium(II), copper(I) and silver(I) complexes of large bite bisphosphinite, bis(2-diphenylphosphinoxynaphthalen-1-yl)methane: Application of Ru(II) complexes towards the hydrogenation of styrene and phenylacetylene

Ruthenium(II), copper(I) and silver(I) complexes of large bite bisphosphinite Ph₂P{(-OC₁₀H₆)(μ-CH₂)(C₁₀H₆O-)}PPh₂ (1) are described. Reactions of bisphosphinite 1 with Ru(η⁶-p-cymene)(μ-Cl)Cl]₂ and RuCl₂(PPh₃)₃ afford mono- and bis-chelate complexes RuCl(η⁶-p-cymene){η²-Ph₂P{(-OC₁₀H₆)(μ-CH₂)(C₁₀H₆O-)}PPh₂-κP,κP}]Cl (2) and trans-RuCl₂{η²-Ph₂P{(-OC₁₀H₆)(μ-CH₂)(C₁₀H₆O-)}PPh₂-κP,κP}₂] (3), respectively. Treatment of 1 with CuX (X = Cl, Br and I) furnish 10-membered chelate complexes of the type Cu(X){η²-Ph₂P(-OC₁₀H₆)(μ-CH₂)(C₁₀H₆O-)PPh₂-κP,κP}] (4, X = Cl; 5, X = Br; 6, X = I), whereas Cu(MeCN)₄]PF₆ affords a bis-chelated cationic complex Cu{η²-Ph₂P(-OC₁₀H₆)(μ-CH₂)(C₁₀H₆O-)PPh₂-κP,κP}₂]PF₆] (7). Reaction between 1 and AgOTf produce both mono- and bis-chelated complexes Ag{η²-Ph₂P(-OC₁₀H₆)(μ-CH₂)(C₁₀H₆O-)PPh₂-κP,κP}(SO₃CF₃)] (8) and Ag{η²-Ph₂P(-OC₁₀H₆)(μ-CH₂)(C₁₀H₆O-)PPh₂-κP,κP}₂]SO₃CF₃] (9), respectively; whereas the similar reaction of 1 withAg(OTf)PPh₃] affords chelate complex of the type Ag{η²-Ph₂P(-OC₁₀H₆)(μ-CH₂)(C₁₀H₆O-)PPh₂-κP,κP}(PPh₃)(SO₃CF₃)] (10). All the complexes were characterized by ¹H NMR, ³¹P NMR, elemental analysis and mass spectrometry, including low-temperature NMR studies in the case of silver complexes. The molecular structures of 4 and 6 are determined by X-ray diffraction studies. Ruthenium complexes 2 and 3 promote catalytic hydrogenation of styrene and phenylacetylene with good turnover numbers.