Synthesis and structural studies of polynuclear ruthenium clusters derived from reactions of 1,2,3,4-tetraphenyl-1,2,3,4-tetraphospholane with [Ru3(CO)12]

Reactions of 1,2,3,4-tetraphenyl-1,2,3,4-tetraphospholane (I) with triruthenium dodecacarbonyl at different temperatures result in the cleavage of P-P bonds and even P-C bond(s) in I to afford a series of new ruthenium cluster derivatives containing phosphido and phosphinidene ligands: a penta-ruthenium wing-tip bridged butterfly cluster [Ru₅(CO)₁₁(μ₄-PPh)(μ₃-PPh){(μ₄-η²-(PPh)₂CH₂}] (1), a hepta-ruthenium polyhedral (consisting of two fused square pyramids with a co-apex) cluster [Ru₇(CO)₁₅(μ₄-PPh)₂{(μ₂-PPh)₂CH₂}](2), a linked penta-ruthenium cluster [Ru₄(CO)₁₀(μ₄-PPh)(μ₃-PPh)₂(μ₃-η²-PPhCH₂)Ru(CO)₃] (3), and a hepta-nuclear polyhedral (consisting of two fused square pyramids with different apexes) cluster [Ru₇(CO)₁₅(μ₄-PPh)₂{(μ₂-PPh)₂CH₂}](4). Clusters 2 and 4 are isomeric and differ only in the connection of the two square pyramids in the Ru₇ polyhedron. All the newly obtained clusters have been fully characterized by spectroscopic (IR, FABMS, ¹H- and ³¹P-NMR spectroscopy) and analytical techniques, and their molecular structures are established by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.