Site-selective carbonyl substitution in the mixed-metal cluster anion [H2Ru3Ir(CO)(12)](-): synthesis and characterization of phosphine, phosphite, arsine and stibine derivatives

The reaction of the mixed-metal carbonyl cluster anion [H2Ru3Ir(CO)(12)](-) with PPh3, PMe3, P(OPh)(3), AsPh3 or SbPh3 leads to the mono-substituted derivatives [H2Ru3Ir(CO)(11)L](-) (L = PPh3 1, L = PMe3 2, L = P(OPh)(3) 3, L = AsPh3 4, L = SbPh3 5). Protonation of the anions 1-5 gives the neutral trihydrido derivatives H3Ru3Ir(CO)(11)L (L = PPh3 6, L = PMe3 7, L = P(OPh)(3) 8, L = AsPh3 9, L = SbPh3 10). All new tetranuclear clusters invariably show a tetrahedral arrangement of the Ru3Ir skeleton, as predicted for 60 e systems. The ligand L is coordinated to one of the ruthenium atoms, except in the case of L = PMe3 where two substitution isomers are observed. While the anionic isomers [H2Ru3Ir(CO)(11)(PMe3)](-) (2) could not be separated, the corresponding neutral isomers H3Ru3Ir(CO)(11)(PMe3) (7) could be resolved by thin-layer chromatography. In isomer 7a, the phosphine ligand is coordinated to one of the ruthenium atoms, whereas in isomer 7b the PMe3 ligand is bonded to the iridium atom. The molecular structures of 1, 7b, 8 and 9 were confirmed by a single-crystal X-ray structure analysis. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.