CATIONIC RUTHENIUM(II) PHOSPHITE COMPLEXES - PREPARATION AND PROPERTIES OF MONOCARBONYL AND ISOCYANIDE DERIVATIVES

Mono- and tri-μ-chloro ruthenium(II) complexes [Ru<inf>2</inf>Cl<inf>3</inf>L<inf>8</inf>]BPh<inf>4</inf> and [Ru<inf>2</inf>Cl<inf>3</inf>L<inf>6</inf>]BPh<inf>4</inf> [L = P(OEt)<inf>3</inf> or P(OEt)<inf>2</inf>Ph] were prepared by allowing ruthenium trichloride to react with phosphite in refluxing ethanol. Cationic carbonyl derivatives of the type trans-[RuCl(CO)L<inf>4</inf>]⁺ were also prepared by the carbonylation reaction of a phosphite-containing RuCl<inf>3</inf> solution. The reaction of all these compounds with isocyanide was examined and led to the synthesis of the new [RuCl(RNC)<inf>2</inf>L<inf>3</inf>]⁺, [Ru(RNC)<inf>3</inf>L<inf>3</inf>]²⁺, and [RuCl(CO)(RNC)L<inf>3</inf>]⁺ derivatives. Characterization of the complexes by i.r. and ¹H and ³¹P n.m.r. data is also discussed.