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Updated: Sep 28, 2025

The Synthesis, Characterization and Reactivity of a Series of Ruthenium N-triphosPh Complexes
Published on: April 10, 2015
An Anionic Dinuclear Ruthenium Dihydrogen Complex of Relevance for Alkyne gem-Hydrogenation
Tobias Biberger1, Nils Nöthling1, Markus Leutzsch1
1Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, 45470, Mülheim/Ruhr, Germany.
Abstract:
During an investigation into the fate of ruthenium precatalysts used for light-driven alkyne gem-hydrogenation reactions with formation of Grubbs-type ruthenium catalysts, it was found that the reaction of [(IPr)(η6 -cymene)RuCl2 ] with H2 under UV-irradiation affords an anionic dinuclear σ-dihydrogen complex, which is thermally surprisingly robust. Not only are anionic σ-complexes in general exceedingly rare, but the newly formed species seems to be the first example lacking any structural attributes able to counterbalance the negative charge and, in so doing, prevent oxidative insertion of the metal centers into the ligated H2 from occurring.
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