A diruthenium
μ-phosphane complex, {Cp‡Ru(μ-H)}2(μ-η2-HP
t
Bu2) (2a; Cp‡ = 1,2,4-C5
t
Bu3H2),
which features an agostic Ru–H–P interaction at one
ruthenium center, was synthesized by the reaction of Cp‡Ru(μ-H)4RuCp‡ (1)
with P
t
Bu2H. The agostic Ru–H–P
interaction was stabilized by the bulky Cp‡ and
t
Bu groups. The agostic Ru–H–P
interaction in 2a was unambiguously confirmed by X-ray
diffraction. The rapid site exchange at the P–H and Ru–H–Ru
positions indicated that the η2-P–H bond underwent
oxidative addition in solution, yielding a μ-phospanido isomer,
{Cp‡Ru(μ-H)}2(H)(μ-P
t
Bu2) (3a). The population
of the μ-phosphanido isomer increased when the size of the substituent
at the phosphorus atom was reduced, and μ-phosphanido complex 3b was exclusively obtained by the reaction of 1 with PPh3.
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