A chelate-stabilized ruthenium(sigma-pyrrolato) complex: resolving ambiguities in nuclearity and coordination geometry through 1H PGSE and 31P solid-state NMR studies

Reaction of RuCl2(PPh3)3 with LiNN' (NN' = 2-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imino]pyrrolide) affords a single product, with the empirical formula RuCl(2,6-iPr2C6H3)N=CHC4H3N](PPh3)2. We identify this species as a sigma-pyrrolato complex, Ru(NN')(PPh3)2]2(mu-Cl)2 (3b), rather than mononuclear RuCl(NN')(PPh3)2 (3a), on the basis of detailed 1D and 2D NMR characterization in solution and in the solid state. Retention of the chelating, sigma-bound iminopyrrolato unit within 3b, despite the presence of labile (dative) chloride and PPh3 donors, indicates that the chelate effect is sufficient to inhibit sigma --> pi isomerization of 3b to a piano-stool, pi-pyrrolato structure. 2D COSY, SECSY, and J-resolved solid-state 31P NMR experiments confirm that the PPh3 ligands on each metal center are magnetically and crystallographically inequivalent, and 31P CP/MAS NMR experiments reveal the largest 99Ru-31P spin-spin coupling constant (1J(99Ru,31P) = 244 +/- 20 Hz) yet measured. Finally, 31P dipolar-chemical shift spectroscopy is applied to determine benchmark phosphorus chemical shift tensors for phosphine ligands in hexacoordinate ruthenium complexes.