New diruthenium (II,III) compounds bearing terminal olefin groups

The reaction between Ru2(DmAniF)3(OAc)Cl (DmAniF is N,N′-di(m-methoxyphenyl)formamidinate) and HO2C(CH2)mCHCH2 (m = 3, 4 and 8) under reflux afforded new diruthenium species Ru2(DmAniF)3(O2C(CH2)mCHCH2)Cl (m = 3, 1a; 4, 1b; and 8, 1c). Similarly, the reaction between cis-Ru2(DmAniF)2(OAc)2Cl and HO2C(CH2)mCHCH2 resulted in Ru2(DmAniF)2(O2C(CH2)mCHCH2)2Cl (m = 3, 2a; and 8, 2c). Compounds 2 subsequently underwent an olefin ring closing metathesis reaction catalyzed by (Cy3P)2Cl2Ru(CHPh) to afford the dimerized compounds Ru2(DmAniF)2(μ-O2C(CH2)mCH)2Cl (m = 3, 3a; and 8, 3c). All compounds reported herein were analyzed by voltammetry, high resolution mass spectrometry and Vis–NIR spectroscopy, with the structures of 1c and 2c established through X-ray single crystal diffraction.