New ruthenium(II) complexes containing the chiral ligand (4S)-2-[(Sp)-2-(diphenylphosphino)ferrocenyl]-4-(methylethyl)oxazoline (FcPN). X-ray structures of mer–trans-[RuCl2(dppm)(FcPN)] (dppm=bis(diphenylphosphino)methane) and cis-[RuCl2(CO)(py)(FcPN)]

fac–mer Isomerization processes of octahedral ruthenium(II) complexes [RuCl2(dppm)(FcPN)] containing the chelate ligands (4S)-2-[(Sp)-2-(diphenylphosphino)ferrocenyl]-4-(methylethyl)oxazoline (FcPN) and bis(diphenylphosphino)methane (dppm) are described. A five-coordinate intermediate [RuCl(dppm)(FcPN)][Cl] involved in this isomerization was isolated as its hexafluorophosphate salt. The alkynyl complex mer-[RuCl(CCC6H4CH3-4)(dppm)(FcPN)] (4) has been prepared by reaction of fac-[RuCl2(dppm)(FcPN)] with LiCCC6H4CH3-4. Azide complexes fac-[Ru(N3)2(PR3)x(FcPN)] (R=Ph, x=1 (5), R=Me, x=2 (6)) have also been prepared by treatment with NaN3 of [RuCl2(PPh3)(FcPN)] and fac-[RuCl2(PMe3)2(FcPN)], respectively. Bubbling CO through a dichloromethane solution of the five-coordinate complex [RuCl2(PPh3)(FcPN)] leads to [RuCl2(CO)(PPh3)(FcPN)] (7) which undergoes phosphine exchange with pyridine to yield cis-[RuCl2(CO)(py)(FcPN)] (8). Reaction of 7 with dppm in the presence of NaPF6 gives the cationic complex [RuCl(CO)(dppm)(FcPN)][PF6] (9). X-ray structures of the complexes mer–trans-[RuCl2(dppm)(FcPN)] (1) and cis-[RuCl2(CO)(py)(FcPN)] (8) are also reported.