Synthesis and crystal structure of {Ru2(CO)6-μ2-η3-[(Ph)Csingle bondC(H)single bondC(H)single bondNdouble bond; length as m-dashC(H)single bondC(H)double bond; length as m-dashC(H)(Ph)]} — The first structurally characterized iminoallyl ruthenium carbonyl

The dinuclear ruthenium carbonyl cluster {Ru2(CO)6-μ2-η3-[(Ph)Csingle bondC(H)single bondC(H)single bondNdouble bond; length as m-dashC(H)single bondC(H)double bond; length as m-dashC(H)(Ph)]} is produced from the reaction of cinnamaldehyde and Ru3(CO)12 in a 2.0 M solution of ammonia in ethanol. From the crystal structure it gets obvious that ammonia reacted with two molecules of cinnamaldehyde. The resulting ligand may best be described as a formally dianionic ruthenium coordinated imino-allyl-system with one exocyclic 3-phenylallylidene unit that shows no interaction with the transition metals whereas the second one is bound to ruthenium via a Csingle bondH activation step in γ-position with respect to the nitrogen atom.