Ruthenium Tris(pyrazolyl)borate Complexes. Part 20 [1]. Synthesis, Characterization, and Reactivity of Neutral Trispyrazolylborate Ruthenium Vinylidene Complexes

The reaction of RuTp(COD)Cl (1) with PPh₂Prⁱ and terminal alkynes HCCR (R=C₆H₅, C₄H₃S, C₆H₄OMe, Fc, C₆H₄–Fc, C₆H₉) affords the neutral vinylidene complexes RuTp(PPh₂Prⁱ) (Cl)(=C=CHR) (2a–2f) in high yields. These complexes do not react with MeOH to give methoxy carbene complexes of the type RuTp(PPh₂Prⁱ)(Cl)(=C(OMe)CH₂R), but react with oxygen to yield the CO complex RuTp(PPh₂R)(Cl)(CO) (3). The structures of 2b, 2f, and 3 have been determined by X-ray crystallography.