Synthesis, characterisation and X-ray studies of mixed-ligand triruthenium cluster complexes, Ru3(CO)9(arphos)(L), where L=PCy3, PPh3, P(C6H4F-m)3, P(C6H4F-p)3, P(C6H4Cl-p)3 and PPh(C6H4OMe-p)2.

Abstract: Six trinuclear substituted complexes of the type Ru3(CO)9(arphos)(L) were synthesized by a substitution reaction involving Ru3(CO)10(arphos) (1) with L, where L=PCy3, PPh3, P(C6H4F-m)3, P(C6H4F-p)3, P(C6H4Cl-p)3 and PPh(C6H4OMe-p)2, using a thermal method. The structures of the resulting clusters were elucidated by single crystal X-ray diffraction, complemented by means of elemental analysis and spectroscopic methods, including infrared spectroscopy and 1H, 13C{1H} and 31P{1H} NMR spectroscopy. The longest Ru–Ru bond in Ru3(CO)9(arphos)(L) [L=PCy3 (2), P(C6H4F-m)3 (4), P(C6H4F-p)3 (5), P(C6H4Cl-p)3 (6) and PPh(C6H4OMe-p)2 (7)] is the bond that is cis to the monodentate phosphine ligands, while in Ru3(CO)9(arphos)PPh3 (3), the longest bond is the bond that is bridged by the arphos ligand. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]