Reactions of the cationic complex [(eta(6)-C6Me6)(2)Ru-2(mu(2)-H)(3)](+) with nitrogen-containing heterocycles in aqueous solution

The dinuclear cation [(eta(6)-C6Me6)(2)Ru-2(mu(2)-H)(3)](+) (1) reacts in aqueous solution with pyrazole and 4-methylpyrazole to give the bispyrazolato complexes [(eta(6)-C6Me6)(2)Ru-2(mu(2)-H)(mu(2)-eta(1),eta(1)-N2C3H2R)(2)](+) (R = H: 2, R = Me: 3). The reaction with 1,2,4-triazole results in the formation of the bistriazolato complex [(eta(6)-C6Me6)(2)Ru-2(mu(2)-H)(mu(2)-eta(1),eta(1)-N3C2H2)(2)](+) (4) Successive protonation of the triazolato ligands in 4 leads to the complexes [(eta(6)-C6Me6)(2)Ru-2(mu(2)-H)(mu(2)-eta(1),-N3C2H2)(mu(2)-eta(1),eta(1 )-N3C2H3)](2+) (5) and [(eta(6)-C6Me6)(2)RU2(mu(2)-H)(mu(2)-eta(1),eta(1)-N3C2H2)(2)](3+) (6). The reaction of 1 with 1,2,3-triazole gives a 1:1 mixture of the bistriazolato complexes [(eta(6)-C6Me6)(2)Ru-2(mu(2)-H)(mu(2)-eta(1),eta(1)-N3C2H2)(2)](+) with parallel (7a) and anti-parallel (7b) coordination of the triazolato ligands. The single-crystal X-ray structure analyses of 2 (hexafluorophosphate salt) and 4 (tosylate salt) reveal for both complex types a ruthenium-ruthenium backbone being bridged by the two heterocyclic ligands with the N-N axis coordinated in a mu(2)-eta(1),eta(1)-fashion. A single-crystal X-ray structure analysis of title complex 1 (hexafluorophosphate salt) confirms the presence of three bridging hydride ligands with a Ru-Ru distance of only 2.47 Angstrom. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.