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Reactions of Ru3(CO)10(µ-dppf) (1) (dppf = 1,1'-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene), Ru3(CO)10(µ-dppm) (2) (dppm = bis(diphenylphosphino)methane), and the orthometalated derivative Ru3(CO)9{µ3- PPhCH2PPh(C6H4)} (3) with silanes (Ph3SiH, Et3SiH, Ph2SiH2) are reported. Treatment of 1 with Ph3SiH and Ph2SiH2 at room temperature leads to facile Si--H bond activation to afford Ru3(CO)9(µ-dppf)(SiPh3)(µ-H) (4) (60% yield) and Ru3(CO)9(µ-dppf)(SiPh2H)(µ-H) (6) (53% yield), respectively. The reaction of 1 with Ph3SiH has been investigated by electronic structure calculations, and these data have facilitated the analysis of the potential energy surface leading to 4. Compound 1 does not react with Et3SiH at room temperature but reacts at 68 °C to give Ru3(CO)9(µ-dppf)(SiEt3)(µ-H) (5) in 45% yield. Reaction of 2 with Ph3SiH at room temperature yields two new products: Ru3(CO)9(µ-dppm)(SiPh3)(µ-H) (7) in 40% yield and Ru3(CO)6(µ3-O)(µ-dppm)(SiPh3)(µ- H)3 (8) in 15% yield. Interestingly, at room temperature compound 7 slowly reverts back to 2 in solution with decomposition and liberation of Ph3SiH. Complex 8 can also be prepared from the direct reaction between 7 and H2O. Similar reactions of 2 with Et3SiH and Ph2SiH2 give only intractable materials. The orthometalated compound 3 does not react with Ph3SiH, Et3SiH and Ph2SiH2 at room temperature but does react at 66 °C to give Ru3(µ-CO)(CO)7{µ3- PPhCH2PPh(C6H4)}(SiR2R¹)(µ- H)](9, R = R' = Ph, 71% yield; 10, R = R' = Et, 60% yield; 11, R = Ph, R' = H, 66% yield) by activation of the Si--H bond. Compounds 4 and 8--11 have been structurally characterized. In 4, both the dppf and the hydride bridge a common Ru--Ru vector, whereas NMR studies on 7 indicate that two ligands span different Ru--Ru edges. Compound 8 contains a face-capping oxo moiety, a terminally coordinated SiPh3 ligand, and three bridging hydride ligands, whereas 9--11 represent simple oxidative addition products. In all of the compounds examined, the triruthenium framework retains its integrity and the silyl groups occupy equatorial sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]