DIFLUOROCARBENE COMPLEXES OF RUTHENIUM DERIVED FROM TRIFLUOROMETHYL COMPOUNDS. RuCl2(CF2)(CO)(PPh3)2, RuCl2(CFNMe2)(CO)(PPh3)2, RuCl2(CFOMe)(CO)(PPh3)2 AND THE STRUCTURE OF Ru(CF3)(HgCF3)(CO)2(PPh3)2

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0022-328X(00)85710-1

Ru(CO)3(PPh3)2 or Ru(CO)2(PPh3)2 with Hg(CF3)2 gives Ru(CF3)HgCF3)(CO)2(PPh3)2.X-ray crystal structure determination reveals an octahedral geometry and the average C-F distance in the CF3 group which is Ru-bound is 0.1 Angstroem longer than in the CF3 group Hg-bound.This and other Ru-CF3 complexes such as Ru(CF3)Cl(CO)2(PPh3)2 react with aqueous acids converting the CF3 group to a CO group.Difluorocarbene complexes are implicated in these reactions and a crystalline example of such a compound is RuCl2(CF2)(CO)(PPh3)2 derived from Ru(CF3)Cl(CO)(MeCN)(PPh3) and dry HCl gas in benzene solution.RuCl2(CF2)(CO)(PPh3)2 is readily hydrolysed to RuCl2(CO)2(PPh3)2, while Me2NH gives RuCl2(CFNMe2)(CO)(PPh3)2, MeOH gives RuCl2(CFOMe)(CO)(PPh3)2, and ethanediol gives .