Photochemical oxidative addition of B–H bonds at ruthenium and rhodium

Abstract

Metal phosphine hydrides of type RuP(4)H(2) and RhP(3)H(3) react photochemically with HB(pin)(pin = pinacolate) to form metal boryl hydride complexes via 16-electron intermediates generated by H(2) loss; the second order rate constants for reaction of the intermediates with HB(pin) are even larger than those for reaction with Et(3)SiH.