Reaction of the chiral racemic complex [CpRu(mppe)(SO2)]PF6 (1, mppe = Me2PC2H4PPh2) with diazomethane or ‐ethane gave the sulfene complexes [CpRu(mppe)(RHC/SO2)]PF6 (R = H, 2a; R = Me, 2b). Treatment of 2a with prochiral enamines or deprotonated β‐oxo esters yielded C–C coupling products with 32–60% de. An analog of 2a, [NmcpRu(mppe)(H2C/SO2)]PF6 (8, Nmcp = neomenthylcyclopentadienyl) was prepared in a four‐step synthesis starting from LiNmcp and [RuCl2(PPh3)3]. Repeated crystallization of the intermediate [NmcpRu(mppe)Cl] (6) provided diastereomerically pure 6′ which added methylene stereospecifically to give diastereomerically pure 8′. Compound 8 turned out to be much less reactive towards nucleophiles than 2a, but still added deprotonated ethyl 2‐methyl‐3‐oxobutanoate with 44% de. The chiral, enantiomerically pure sulfur dioxide complex [CpRu(chir)(SO2)]PF6 [10, chir = (S,S)‐Ph2PCHMeCHMePPh2] was synthesized from [CpRu(chir)Cl] and SO2 and was characterized by X‐ray crystallography. Reaction of 10 with diazomethane gave the enantiomerically pure sulfene complex [CpRu(chir)(H2C/SO2)]PF6 (11). Addition reactions of 11 with N‐(1‐cyclopentenyl)morpholine, as well as with various enolates derived from β‐oxo esters or 1,3‐diesters proceeded with high yields and 20–90% de. The structure of a diastereomerically pure addition product, [CpRu(chir)(SO2CH2C(Me){C(O)Me}{C(O)OtBu}] (13d′), was determined crystallographically and was shown to have (R) configuration at the quaternary carbon atom. After alkylation of one of the S/O functions, the sulfinate ligand was cleaved from the metal center by ligand substitution with acetonitrile, and the resulting acetonitrile complex 15 was converted back into 10 by treatment with SO2.

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