Transfert réciproque d'oxygéne et d'hydrogéne entre deux ligands coordonnés à une ossature dinucléaire de ruthénium: synthèse et structure moléculaire de Ru₂(CO)₆(μ-PCy₂)[μ-P(O)Cy₂]

The dinuclear propionato complexes (Ru2(CO)4(μ-O2CEt)2(PR2H)2 (R = Ph: 1,R = Cy: 2) react under carbon monoxide pressure to give the phosphido complexes Ru2(CO)6(μ-PR2)2 (R = Ph: 3, R = Cy: 4) as well as the phosphido-phosphinito complexes Ru2(CO)6(μ-PR2)[μ-P(O)R2] (R = Ph: 5, R = Cy: 6). The simultaneous formation of propionic acid and propionic aldehyde suggests that a H-atom is transferred from the phosphine to the propionato ligand, while an O-atom is transferred from the propionato to the phosphine ligand. The single-crystal X-ray structure analysis of 6 reveals this dinuclear complex to have a 'sawhorse' type structure in which the Ru2 backbone is bridged by a μ2-phosphido and a μ2-phosphinito ligand.