Coordination, oligomerisation and transfer hydrogenation of acetylenes by some ruthenium and osmium carboxylates: Crystal and molecular structures of bis(trifluoroacetato)carbonyl-(methanol) bis(triphenylphosphine)ruthenium(II) and (1,4-diphenylbut-1-en-3-yn-2-yl)trifluoroacetato-(carbonyl) bis(triphenylphosphine)ruthenium(II)

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0277-5387(00)84091-7

The hydrides [MH(O₂CCF₃)(CO)(PPh₃)₂] (M = Ru or Os) react with disubstituted acetylenes PhCCPh and PhCCMe to afford vinylic products [M{C(Ph)CHPh}(O₂CCF₃)(CO)(PPh₃)₂] and [M{C(Ph)CHMe}(O₂CCF₃)(CO) (PPh₃)₂]/[M{C(Me)CHPh}(O₂CCF₃)(CO)(PPh₃)₂] respectively. Acidolysis of these products with trifluoroacetic acid in cold ethanol liberates cis-stilbene and cis-PhHCCHMe respectively thus establishing the cis-stereochemistry of the vinylic ligands. The complexes [M(O₂CCF₃)₂(CO)(PPh₃)₂] formed during the acidolysis step undergo facile alcoholysis followed by β-elimination of aldehyde to regenerate the parent hydrides [MH(O₂CCF₃)(CO)(PPh₃)₂] and thereby complete a catalytic cycle for the transfer hydrogenation of acetylenes. The molecular structure of the methanol-adduct intermediate, [Ru(O₂CCF₃)₂(MeOH)(CO)(PPh₃)₂] has been determined by X-ray methods and shows that the coordinated methanol is involved in H-bonding with the monodentate trifluoroacetate ligand [MEO-H---OC(O)CF₃; O...O = 2.54 A]. The hydrides [MH(O₂CCF₃)(CO) (PPh₃)₂]react with 1,4-diphenylbutadiyne to afford the complexes [M{C(CCPh)CHPh} (O₂CCF₃)(CO)(PPh₃)₂]. The ruthenium product, which has also been obtained by treatment of [RuH(O₂CCF₃)(CO)(PPh₃)₂] with phenylacetylene, has been shown by X-ray diffraction methods to contain a 1,4-diphenylbut-1-en-3-yn-2-yl ligand. The osmium complexes [Os(O₂CCF₃)₂(CO)(PPh₃)₂], [OsH(O₂CCF₃)(CO)(PPh₃)₂] and [Os{C(CCPh)CHPh}(O₂CCF₃)(CO)(PPh₃)₂] all serve as catalysts for the oligomerisation of phenylacetylene. Acetylene reacts with [Ru(O₂CCF₃)₂(CO)(PPh₃)₂] in ethanol to afford the vinyl complex [Ru(CHCH₂)(O₂CCF₃)(CO)(PPh₃)₂].