Dinuclear ruthenium sawhorse-type complexes containing bridging ligands with ferrocenyl substituents in <i>endo/endo</i>, <i>endo/exo</i> and <i>exo/exo</i> orientations

The dinuclear ruthenium complexes Ru₂(CO)₄(OOCC₅H₄FeC₅H₅)₂L₂ (L = NC₅H₅: 1, L = PPh₃: 2) have been synthesized from Ru₃(CO)₁₂, ferrocene carboxylic acid and pyridine or triphenylphosphine, respectively. The single-crystal X-ray structure analysis reveals for 1 and 2 a Ru₂(CO)₄ sawhorse backbone with the two ferrocenyl substituents of the two carboxylato bridges being <i>endo/exo</i> with respect to each other in the solid state. With the new pyridine derivative NC₅H₄OOCC₅H₄FeC₅H₅ (4-ferrocenoyl pyridine) (3) as axial ligand, the complex Ru₂(CO)₄(OOCC₅H₄FeC₅H₅)₂(NC₅H₄OOCC₅H₄FeC₅H₅)₂ (4) was obtained, the single crystal X-ray structure analysis showing an <i>exo/exo</i> orientation of the two carboxylato bridges in the solid state. The <i>endo/endo</i> orientation is found in the solid-state structure of Ru₂(CO)₄(HNOCC₅H₄FeC₅H₅)₂(PPh₃)₂ (5), the two OCNH bridges being transoïd with respect to each other; this complex is accessible from Ru₃(CO)₁₂, ferrocenamide and triphenylphosphine.