Formula C41H35ClP2Ru Melting point 135 °C | Molar mass 726.19 g/mol Appearance Orange solid | |
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Chloro(cyclopentadienyl)bis(triphenylphosphine)ruthenium is the organoruthenium half-sandwich compound with formula RuCl(PPh3)2(C5H5). It as an air-stable orange crystalline solid that is used in a variety of organometallic synthetic and catalytic transformations. The compound has idealized Cs symmetry. It is soluble in chloroform, dichloromethane, and acetone.
Contents
Preparation
Chloro(cyclopentadienyl)bis(triphenylphosphine)ruthenium was first reported in 1969 when it was prepared by reacting dichlorotris(triphenylphosphine)ruthenium(II) with cyclopentadiene.
RuCl2(PPh3)3 + C5H6 → RuCl(PPh3)3(C5H5) + HClIt is prepared by heating a mixture of ruthenium(III) chloride, triphenylphosphine, and cyclopentadiene in ethanol.
Reactions
Chloro(cyclopentadienyl)bis(triphenylphosphine)ruthenium(II) undergoes a variety of reactions often by involving substitution of the chloride. With phenylacetylene it gives the phenyl vinylidene complex:
(C5H5)(PPh3)2RuCl + HC2Ph + NH4[PF6] → [Ru(C:CHPh)(PPh3)2(C5H5)][PF6] + NH4ClDisplacement of onw PPh3 by carbon monoxide affords a chiral compound.
(C5H5)(PPh3)2RuCl + CO → (C5H5)(PPh3)(CO)RuCl + PPh3The compound can also be converted into the hydride:
(C5H5)(PPh3)2RuCl + NaOMe → (C5H5)(PPh3)2RuH + NaCl + CH2OA related complex is tris(acetonitrile)cyclopentadienylruthenium hexafluorophosphate, which has three labile MeCN ligands.
Applications
Chloro(cyclopentadienyl)bis(triphenylphosphine)ruthenium(II) serves as a catalyst for a variety of specialized reactions. For example, in the presence of NH4PF6 it catalyzes the isomerisation of allylic alcohols to the corresponding saturated carbonyls.