[Ru3(6-NHC)(CO)10]: synthesis, characterisation and reactivity of rare 46-electron tri-ruthenium clustersElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available. CCDC 1559943, 1559944, 1559945, 1559946, 1816567 and 1816568. For ESI and crystallographic data in CIF or other electronic format see DOI: 10.1039/c8dt00189h

• Main Authors: Ellul, Charles E, Lowe, John P, Mahon, Mary F, Raithby, Paul R, Whittlesey, Michael K
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1477-9226; 1477-9234
• DOI: 10.1039/c8dt00189h

[Ru 3 (CO) 12 ] reacts at room temperature with N -alkyl substituted 6-membered ring N-heterocyclic carbenes (6-NHC) to form [Ru 3 (6-NHC)(CO) 10 ] (6-NHC = 6- i Pr 1 , 6-Et 2 and 6-Me 4 ), rare examples of coordinatively unsaturated (46-electron) ruthenium clusters. Complexes 1 , 2 and 4 have been structurally characterised, along with the tetranuclear ruthenium cluster [Ru 4 (6-Et) 2 (CO) 11 ] 3 that is formed along with 2 . The degradation of the 6- i Pr derivative 1 by pyrimidinium salt elimination helped to explain the poor activity of the complex in the catalytic acylation of pyridine. The room temperature reaction of 6-membered ring N-heterocyclic carbenes with [Ru 3 (CO) 12 ] affords [Ru 3 (6-NHC)(CO) 10 ], rare examples of coordinatively unsaturated, 46-electron tri-ruthenium clusters. Upon mild heating in the presence of C 5 H 5 N, H 2 or PPh 3 , these compounds lose carbene.