Preparation of Cyanoguanidine and Ethylcyanamide Complexes of Ruthenium(II) and Osmium(II)

Cyanoguanidine complexes [MCl{η 1 ‐N≡CN(H)C(NH 2 )=NH}(η 6 ‐p ‐cymene)(PR 3 )]BPh 4 [M = Ru, Os; PR 3 = P(OEt) 3 , PPh(OEt) 2 , PPh 2 OEt, P i Pr 3 ] were prepared by treating compounds [MCl 2 (η 6 ‐p ‐cymene)(PR 3 )] with cyanamide N≡CNH 2 . Alternatively, complexes [MCl{η 1 ‐N≡CN(H)C(NH 2 )=NH}(η 6 ‐p ‐cymene)(PR 3 )]BPh 4 were prepared by treating [MCl 2 (η 6 ‐p ‐cymene)(PR 3 )] with cyanoguanidine. Diethylcyanamide complexes [MCl(N≡CNEt 2 )(η 6 ‐p ‐cymene)(PR 3 )]BPh 4 were also obtained by treating [MCl 2 (η 6 ‐p ‐cymene)(PR 3 )] with an excess amount of N≡CNEt 2 . Complexes were characterised spectroscopically (IR, 1 H, 31 P, 13 C NMR) and in the case of [RuCl{N≡CN(H)C(NH 2 )=NH}(η 6 ‐p ‐cymene){PPh(OEt) 2 }]BPh 4 by X‐ray crystal structure determination.(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)