Synthons for carbide complex chemistry

The sterically accessible carbide complex, (Cy3P)Cl3Ru?C-PtCl(py)(2), acts as a synthon for terminal and bridging carbide fragments that relocate to pincer and A-frame scaffolds upon ligand addition. This concept, benefitting from coordination sphere selection as the concluding step, confronts traditional synthetic strategies and broadens the scope for carbide complexes.