Concepedia

Publication | Closed Access

An Attractive Route to Olefin Metathesis Catalysts: Facile Synthesis of a Ruthenium Alkylidene Complex Containing Labile Phosphane Donors

54

Citations

0

References

2002

Year

Abstract

Reaction of RuHCl(PPh3)3 4 with 3-chloro-3-methyl-1-butyne effects transformation into RuCl2(PPh3)2(CHCHCMe2) 1c. Starting 4 is available commercially, or via quantitative reaction of RuCl2(PPh3)3 with one equivalent of alkali phenoxides or isopropoxides in refluxing benzene-2-propanol. Phosphane exchange between 1c and PCy3 or 1,3-(CH2PCy2)2C6H4 is rapid at RT, affording RuCl2(PCy3)2(CHCHCMe2) 1b or the novel alkylidene complex RuCl2[1,3-(CH2PCy2)2C6H4](CHCHCMe2) 7. Much slower exchange occurred on use of RuCl2(PCy3)2(CHPh) (1a) as precursor. Complex 1c is stable indefinitely (months) in the solid state at RT under N2, but dimerizes slowly in solution to give RuCl(PPh3)2(μ-Cl)3Ru(PPh3)2(CHCHCMe2) 6a. 2,7-Dimethyl-octa-2,4,6-triene, the formal product of carbene coupling, is observed by 1H NMR. Dimerization does not compete with phosphane exchange. A side-product arising from use of excess 3-chloro-3-methyl-1-butyne in the synthesis of 1c was identified as Ru(IV) carbyne complex RuCl3(PPh3)2(≡CCHCMe2) 5, the structure of which was confirmed by X-ray crystallography.