Synthesis and Characterization of Tetrahedral Ru3O Clusters with Intrinsic Framework Chirality: A Chiral Probe of the Intact Cluster Catalysis Concept

Triruthenium mixed-ligand tetrahedral oxo-capped clusters with framework chirality were prepd. by redn. of areneruthenium triaqua dications followed by capping with areneruthenium dimer as racemic mixts.; diastereomeric mixts. were prepd. using chiral ligand; the prepd. complexes hydrogenate 2-acetamidoacrylate with no ee. Reaction of ArRuCl(?-Cl)2ClRuAr and Ar1RuCl(?-Cl)2ClRuAr1 with Ag2SO4 in aq. soln. gave mixt. of [ArRu(OH2)3]2+ and [Ar1Ru(OH2)3]2+, which upon NaBH4 redn. afforded mixed-ligand binuclear complex Ar1Ru(?-H)3RuAr (4, Ar = ?6-C6Me6, Ar1 = ?6-cymene). Reaction of 4 with Ar2RuCl(?-Cl)2ClRuAr2 and H2O gave the trinuclear cluster [(ArRu)(Ar1Ru)(Ar2Ru)(?3-O)(?-H)3]+ (rac-5, Ar2 = ?6-C6H6). Diastereomeric complexes [(ArRu)(Ar1Ru)(Ar*Ru)(?3-O)(?-H)3]+ [(S,R)-7, (R,R)-7; Ar* = (R)-1-phenylethanol] were prepd. by reaction of 4 with [Ar*RuCl(?-Cl)2ClRuAr*] (6). Analogous complex [(ArRu)(Ar1Ru)(Ar3Ru)(?3-O)(?-H)3]+ (8) was prepd. as a racemic mixt. from known (S,S)-Ar3RuCl(?-Cl)2ClRuAr3 [Ar3 = Et (R)-N-acetyl-?-aminobenzeneacetate]; the complex 8 was sepd. into diastereomers by chromatog., the racemization being caused by epimerization of the chiral ?-carbon. The enantiopure diastereomeric triruthenium clusters [(ArRu)(Ar1Ru)(Ar4Ru)(?3-O)(?-H)3]+ [(S,S)-17, (R,S)-17; Ar4 = (R)-N-acetyl-?-aminobenzeneethanol isobutyrate] were finally prepd. from (S,S)-Ar4RuCl(?-Cl)2ClRuAr4 and 4. The chiral Ru3O framework was evidenced by x-ray crystallog., by CD in the UV and IR regions, and by chiral shift reagents in the NMR spectra. To bring evidence for or against the hypothesis of catalytic hydrogenation by intact trinuclear arene ruthenium clusters contg. an oxo cap, catalytic hydrogenation of Me 2-acetamidoacrylate catalyzed by complexes 13 was performed; the complexes showed low catalytic activity and no asym. induction. [on SciFinder(R)]