The formal umpolung behaviour of protonic acids containing coordinating anions towards diphosphazane-bridged derivatives of nonacarbonyldiruthenium

Reaction of [Ru 2 (μ-CO)(CO) 4 {μ-(RO) 2 PN(Et)(OR) 2 } 2 ] (R = Me or Pr i ) with the protonic acids HCl, HBr, HNO 3 , H 2 BO 2 F, CF 3 COOH, PhSH/HPF 6 , and H 2 CO 3 /HPF 6 produces [Ru 2 A(CO) 5 {μ-(RO) 2 PN(Et)(OR) 2 } 2 ] + and/or [Ru 2 (μ-A)(CO) 4 {μ-(RO) 2 PN(Et)(OR) 2 } 2 ] + (A = Cl, Br, ON(O)O, OB(F)OH, OC(CF 3 )O, SPh, and OC(OH)O) via [Ru 2 H(CO) 5 {μ-(RO) 2 PN(Et)(OR) 2 } 2 ] + as intermediate; the structure of [Ru 2 {μ-OB(F)OH}(CO) 4 {-(Pr i O) 2 PN(Et)P(OPr i ) 2 }] + has been established X-ray crystallographically.