A Trinuclear Aqua Cyano‐Bridged Ruthenium Complex [{(η 5 ‐C 5 H 5 )(PPh 3 ) 2 Ru(μ‐CN)} 2 RuCl 2 (PPh 3 )(H 2 O)]PF 6 : Synthesis, Characterization and Crystal Structure

The organometallic trinuclear aqua cyano‐bridged complex [{(η 5 ‐C 5 H 5 )(PPh 3 ) 2 Ru(μ‐CN)} 2 RuCl 2 (PPh 3 )(H 2 O)]PF 6 ( 1 ), in which the fragment [RuCl 2 (PPh 3 )(H 2 O)] acts as a bridge and an acceptor group between the two terminal cyclopentadienyl ruthenium cyano moieties, was isolated in moderate yield from the reaction of [(η 5 ‐C 5 H 5 )(PPh 3 ) 2 RuCN] with [RuCl 2 (PPh 3 ) 3 ] in THF. To the best of our knowledge, compound 1 is one of the few examples of a trinuclear array of ruthenium fragments bridged by the nitrogen atom of the–C≡N– group (Ru–C≡ N –Ru′– N ≡C–Ru) with a Ru‐coordinated water molecule. The new aqua complex was structurally characterized by FTIR, 1 H, 13 C, and 31 P NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, elemental analysis, single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, and cyclic voltammetry. The title complex crystallizes in a triclinic unit cell a = 17.3477(6) Å, b = 17.8551(5) Å, c = 18.2460(7) Å, α = 95.693(2)°, β = 111.648(2)°, and γ = 97.839(2)° in the space group P $\bar {1}$ with Z = 2.(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2007)