The Aromatization of C 5 Rings on a Heteronuclear Cluster

The reaction of the heteronuclear cluster RuOs 3 (μ‐H) 2 (CO) 13 with saturated and unsaturated C 5 rings led to the aromatization of the rings to afford the clusters RuOs 3 (μ‐H)(CO) 9 (μ‐CO) 2 (η 5 ‐C 5 R 4 R′). However, the reaction with cyclopentene gave the cluster RuOs 3 (μ‐H) 3 (CO) 11 (μ,η 1 :η 2 ‐C 5 H 7 ) via C–H activation of an sp 2 carbon instead. Thermolysis of two of the products, RuOs 3 (μ‐H)(CO) 9 (μ‐CO) 2 (η 5 ‐Cp′) and RuOs 3 (μ‐H)(CO) 9 (μ‐CO) 2 (η 5 ‐C 5 H 4 SiMe 3 ), led to their isomerization to butterfly clusters.(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2007)