Stoicheiometric hydrogenation of olefins using HRuCl(PPh3)3 and formation of an ortho-metallated ruthenium(II) complex

Stoicheiometric hydrogenation of olefins using HRuCl(PPh3)3 in the absence of hydrogen results in formation of the dimer [(Ph3P)ClRu(o-C6H4PPh2)]2; this complex reacts with H2, and HCl, to yield in solution the catalytically important bisphosphine complexes RuXCl(PPh3)2(X = H, Cl).