Reactions of [1,2 bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane](hydrido)[hydrotris(pyrazolyl)borato] ruthenium with proton donors were studied by IR and 1 H NMR spectroscopy in CH 2 Cl 2 over a wide temperature range. Dihydrogen bonding to CF 3 CH 2 OH was detected; its spectral and thermodynamic parameters (H = -3.3±0.2 kcal mol -1 , S = -6.7±0.6 cal mol -1 K -1 ) were determined. The basicity factor E j of the hydride ligand is 0.81. The H ... H distance in the dihydrogen bonded complex (2.05 Å) was estimated from the changes in the spin lattice relax ation time T 1min of the hydride resonance. Comparison of the results obtained with the litera ture data revealed a correlation between the length and enthalpy of formation of the dihydrogen bond as well as a correlation between the basicity of the hydride ligand and the tendency of the fragment [ML n ] toward stabilization and oxidative addition of H 2 .Hydrotris(pyrazolyl)borates (Tp) are anionic ligands often considered to be analogs of cyclopentadienyl ones (Cp). 1 Indeed, such ligands are formally donors of six electrons and occupy three coordination sites in metal complexes. According to electrochemical data for the com plexes TpMH(PPh 3 ) 2 and CpMH(PPh 3 ) 2 (M = Ru and Os), the oxidation potentials of the Tp and Cp complexes of the same metals are close. 2 However, the ligands of the two types do differ in electronic, steric, and coordination properties. For instance, this difference is manifested by the ability to stabilize complexes with molecular hydrogen. The well known cationic complexes of the [(C 5 R 5 )MH 2 (L)(L´)] + type (M = Fe, Ru, and Os) can have both a classical dihydride structure, [(C 5 R 5 )M(H) 2 (L)(L´)] + , and a nonclassical structure containing molecular hydrogen, [(C 5 R 5 )M( 2 H 2 ) (L)(L´)] + . 3-8 Similar complexes with the Tp ligand do always have nonclassical structures. 2, [9][10][11] Earlier, 12,13 we have demonstrated that hydrogen bond ing (MH ... HX) to a hydride ligand precedes proton trans fer giving rise to complexes with molecular hydrogen. The ligand environment is crucial for both the proton accept ing ability of the hydride ligand and the stability of the complexes MH ... HX formed by dihydrogen bonds (DHB) 14 as well as for the stability of complexes with molecular hydrogen. 1,15 As a next step in our investigations of hydrogen bonds and proton transfer to transition metal hydrides, here we studied reactions of the ruthenium(II) hydride TpRuH(dppe) (1; dppe = 2 Ph 2 PCH 2 CH 2 PPh 2 ) with proton donors in order to examine the effect of the ligand on the basicity (proton accepting ability) and protonation of transition metal hydrides.
Results and Discussion