A trichloro‐bridged binuclear ruthenium complex with 1,1,1‐tris(diphenylphosphinomethyl)ethane

The tri­chloro‐bridged dinuclear Ru^II complex tri‐μ‐chloro‐bis{1,1,1‐tris­(di­phenyl­phosphino­methyl)­ethane‐κ³P,P′,P′′]ruthenium(II)} hexa­fluoro­phosphate ethanol solvate, Ru₂Cl₃(tripod)₂]PF₆·C₂H₆O, containing the tripod 1,1,1‐tris­(di­phenyl­phosphino­methyl)­ethane, C₄₁H₃₉P₃] ligand, was unexpectedly obtained from the reaction of Ru^IIICl₃(tripod)] with 1,4‐bis­(di­phenyl­phosphino)­butane (dppb), followed by pre­cipitation with NH₄PF₆. The magnetic moment of the compound at room temperature indicates that the dinuclear Ru₂(μ‐Cl)₃(tripod)₂]⁺ cation is diamagnetic. A single‐crystal X‐ray structure determination revealed that the two Ru atoms are bridged by the three Cl atoms. The coordination sphere of each Ru atom is completed by the three P atoms of a tripod ligand. The two P₃Ru units are exactly eclipsed, while the bridging Cl atoms are staggered with respect to the six P atoms. The Ru⋯Ru distance is 3.3997 (7) Å and the mean Cl—Ru—Cl bond angle is 77.7°.