Reactions of a P-N stabilised aluminium dihydride with ruthenium hydride complexes

Treatment of [Ru(L)(PPh3)2(CO)H2] (L = PPh3, IMes; IMes = 1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene) with an N-mesityl amidophosphine aluminium dihydride complex (Al(P-N)H2) gives [Ru(PPh3)2(CO)H3{Al (P-N)H}] (2) and [Ru(IMes)(PPh3)(CO)H3{Al(P-N)H}] (4), which are present in solution as mixtures of diastereomers. Crystal structure determinations and density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest both 2 and 4 can be formulated as [Ru(L)(PPh3)(CO)H3][Al(P-N)H] complexes with bridging hydride ligands.

Automated summary

Treatment of [Ru(L)(PPh3)2(CO)H2] (L = PPh3, IMes) with an N-mesityl amidophosphine aluminium dihydride complex (Al(P-N)H2) gives [Ru(PPh3)2(CO)H3{Al(P-N)H}] (2) and [Ru(IMes)(PPh3)(CO)H3{Al(P-N)H}] (4), which are present in solution as mixtures of diastereomers. Crystal structure determinations and density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest both 2 and 4 can be formulated as [Ru(L)(PPh3)(CO)H3][Al(P-N)H] complexes with bridging hydride ligands.