Reaction of Triruthenium Dodecacarbonyl with Isopropenylbenzene: Synthesis of Ru3(μ2-H)(CO)9(μ3-η1:η1:η3-C3H2Ph) and Ru5(μ3-H)(CO)14(μ4-η1:η1:η3:η3-C3H2Ph)

On reaction with Ru 3 (CO) 12, the isopropenylbenzene ligand affords a number of products including two in which only the isopropenyl side arm interacts with the cluster, these being the new cluster-allyl compounds Ru 3 (μ 2 -H)(CO) 9 (μ 3 -η 1:η 1:η 3 -C 3 H 2 Ph) ( 1 ) and Ru 5 (μ 3 -H)(CO) 14 (μ 4 -η 1:η 1:η 3:η 3 -C 3 H 2 Ph) ( 2 ). Further heating of 1 with Ru 3 (CO) 12 does not result in the formation of 2, but instead the known alkyne cluster Ru 6 C(CO) 15 (μ 3 -η 1:η 1:η 2 -C 2 HPh) ( 3 ) is produced. These compounds have been characterized on the basis of full spectroscopic analysis, and clusters 1 and 2 have been analyzed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The metal atom geometry in 2 is highly unusual, comprising a Ru 4 -butterfly arrangement with one of the wing tip-hinge edges bridged by an additional Ru atom.