Catalytic hydrogenation by triruthenium clusters: a mechanistic study with parahydrogen-induced polarization

The reactivity of the cluster family [Ru(3)(CO)(12-x)(L)(x)] (in which L=PMe(3), PMe(2)Ph, PPh(3) and PCy(3), x=1-3) towards hydrogen is described. When x=2, three isomers of [Ru(3)(H)(mu-H)(CO)(9)(L)(2)] are formed, which differ in the arrangement of their equatorial phosphines. Kinetic studies reveal the presence of intra- and inter-isomer exchange processes with activation parameters and solvent effects indicating the involvement of ruthenium-ruthenium bond heterolysis and CO loss, respectively. When x=3, reaction with H(2) proceeds to form identical products to those found with x=2, while when x=1 a single isomer of [Ru(3)(H)(mu-H)(CO)(10)(L)] is formed. Species [Ru(3)(H)(mu-H)(CO)(9)(L)(2)] have been shown to play a kinetically significant role in the hydrogenation of an alkyne substrate through initial CO loss, with rates of H(2) transfer being explicitly determined for each isomer. A less significant secondary reaction involving loss of L yields a detectable product that contains both a pendant vinyl unit and a bridging hydride ligand. Competing pathways that involve fragmentation to form [Ru(H)(2)(CO)(2)(L)(alkyne)] are also observed and shown to be favoured by nonpolar solvents. Kinetic data reveal that catalysis based on [Ru(3)(CO)(10)(PPh(3))(2)] is the most efficient although [Ru(3)(H)(mu-H)(CO)(9)(PMe(3))(2)] corresponds to the most active of the detected intermediates.