Concomitant coordination of vinylidene and carbene ligands made possible at ruthenium(II)

Removal of one chloride ligand from the aminocarbene fac -[(PNP)RuCl 2 (C&{N(H)Ph}{CH 2 Ph})] in THF followed by treatment with phenylacetylene yields the ruthenium(II) complex mer -[(PNP)RuCl{C=C(H)Ph}(C{N(H)Ph}{CH 2 Ph})]PF 6 ( 4 ). Complex 4 represents the first example of a transition metal complex with the simultaneous coordination of vinylidene and carbene ligands.