A bimetallic ruthenium ethylene complex as a catalyst precursor for the Kharasch reaction

A bimetallic complex, in which a RuCl2 (eta(C2H4)-C-2)(PCy3) fragment is connected via three chloro, bridges to a (eta(6)-p-cymene)RuCl2 fragment, has been synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. This complex was used to catalyze the atom transfer radical addition Of CCl4 and CHCl3 to olefins at temperatures between 0 and 40 degrees C. Turnover frequencies of up to 1550 h(-1) were observed, making the new complex one of the most active catalysts for this type of reaction described so far.