Hetero- and homo-nuclear bimetallic ruthenol complexes by dehydrogenative metallacyclization of Ru(CO)3(bi-1,7-cyclooctadienyl), preparation and x-ray structure of Fe(CO)3(C16H22), RuFe(CO)6(C16H22) and Ru2(CO)6(C16H20)

The reaction of M₃(CO)₁₂ (M = Ru, Fe) with excess bi-2,7-cyclooctadienyl (C₁₆H₂₂) 1 gave a mononuclear complex M(CO)₃(1,2,1′-2′-η⁴-C₁₆H₂₂), 2a (M = Ru) or 3a (M = Fe), in good yield. Treatment of 2a with Fe₃(CO)₁₂ or reaction of 3a with Ru₃(CO)₁₂ gave the heterobimetallic complex RuFe(CO)₆(C₁₀H₂₂) consisting of a ruthenacyclopentadiene unit coordinated to an Fe(CO)₃ fragment, as confirmed by ¹H NMR and X-ray studies. The corresponding homobimetallic complex Ru₂(CO)₆(C₁₆H₂₂) was obtained from the 1:1 reaction of 2a with Ru₃(CO)₁₂, while the direct reaction of 1 with Ru₃(CO)₁₂ gave Ru₂(CO)₆(C₁₆H₂₀) preferentially with a loss of two hydrogen atoms. The pathway for formation of these bimetallic complexes was interpreted as a dehydrogenative metallacyclization followed by hydrogen transfer.