Cyclopentadienyl Ligand Effects on Enthalpies of Protonation of the Ru−Ru Bond in Cp‘₂Ru₂(CO)₄Complexes

Basicities of a series of Cp'(2)Ru(2)(CO)(4) complexes were established by measuring the heats evolved (DeltaH(MHM)) when the complexes were protonated by CF(3)SO(3)H in 1,2-dichloroethane at 25.0 degrees C. Spectroscopic studies show that the protonation occurs at the metal-metal bond to form [Cp'(2)Ru(2)(CO)(4)(-H)](+)CF(3)SO(3)(-), in which all of the CO ligands are terminal. The basicities (-DeltaH(MHM)) increase with the Cp'(2) ligands in the following order: (C(5)Me(4)CF(3))(2) < (C(9)H(7))(2) < C(5)H(4)C(5)H(4) < C(5)H(4)CH(2)CH(2)C(5)H(4) < (C(5)H(5))(2) < (C(5)Me(5))(2) < C(5)H(4)CH(2)C(5)H(4). This trend can be understood in part by considering that more strongly donating Cp' ligands increase the basicity of the Ru-Ru bond. Another important factor is the CO-bridging or nonbridging form of each Cp'(2)Ru(2)(CO)(4) complex. A dimer with bridging CO groups is significantly less basic than another dimer with only terminal CO groups although the donor abilities of their Cp' ligands are nearly equal. The Ru-Ru bond in Cp(2)Ru(2)(CO)(4) is substantially more basic than the Ru in the related mononuclear CpRu(CO)(2)H. Molecular structures of [Cp(2)Ru(2)(CO)(4)(-H)](+)CF(3)SO(3)(-), [(C(5)H(4)CH(2)C(5)H(4))Ru(2)(CO)(4)(-H)](+)CF(3)SO(3)(-), and (C(5)H(4)CH(2)CH(2)C(5)H(4))Ru(2)(CO)(4) as determined by X-ray diffraction studies are also presented.