Trapping a pseudo-Hofmann rearrangement on a ruthenium cluster.

In the clusters [Ru3(micro(3)-NPPh(3))(micro(3)-OSiMe(3))(micro-X)(micro(C,O)-OC[double bond]NPPh(3))(micro-CO)(CO)6] (X = NCO, 2; X = Cl, 3), which were prepared by a pyrolytic reaction of Ph(3)PNSiMe(3) with Ru(3)(CO)12, the ligands result from a cluster-mediated pseudo-Hofmann rearrangement involving the micro-NCO, micro(C,O)-Ph(3)P[double bond]N-CO and micro(3)-NPPh(3) fragments.

Reactivity of Ph2P(Se)CH2C6H4CH2P(Se)Ph2 with [M3(CO)12] (M=Ru or Fe). Synthesis and characterization of the new carbene cluster [Ru3(mu3-Se)(mu3-H)(mu2-PPh2)(CO)6(mu2-CHC6H4CH2PPh2)].

The reactions of [M3(CO)12] (M=Ru or Fe) with 1,2 bis[(diphenylphosphino)methyl]benzene diselenide (dpmbSe2) in hot toluene afford a variety of phosphine-substituted selenido carbonyl clusters. They belong to the following three families: (i) 50-electron clusters with a M3Se2 core (2, 3, 5-7), (ii) 48-electron clusters with a M3Se core (1, 8), (iii) 34-electron clusters with a M2Se2 core (4). All these species derive from the P=Se bond cleavage. Cluster 1, which contains a hydrido, a phosphido, and a carbene ligand, is produced by multiple fragmentation of the diphosphine. This fragmentation appears related to the presence of the selenido ligand on the cluster, as the reaction of [Ru3(CO)12] with dpmb (not selenized) produces only carbonyl substitution by the phosphine to give [Ru3(CO)10(mu-dpmb)] (9). All the clusters synthesized have been characterized by spectroscopic techniques, and in some cases fluxional behavior has been detected in solution by NMR analysis. The structures of 1, 2, and 7-9 have been determined by X-ray diffraction methods.