Reaction of FcCCo3(CO)9 with 2,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)maleic anhydride (bma). X-ray diffraction structure and redox properties of

Hydrogenase biomimics containing redox-active ligands: Fe2(CO)4(μ-edt)(κ2-bpcd) with electron-acceptor 4,5-bis(diphenylphosphino)-4-cyclopenten-1,3-dione (bpcd) as a potential [Fe4–S4]H surrogate

The diiron centre and redox-active diphosphine are reduced in separate steps but there is little evidence of intramolecular electron transfer between the two.

Selective diphosphine ligand chelation and pi bond coordination in CoRu(CO)7(mu-PPh2): kinetics and X-ray structure of CoRu(CO)4(mu-bma)(mu-PPh2)

Thermolysis of CoRu(CO)7(mu-PPh2) (1) in refluxing 1,2-dichloroethane in the presence of the diphosphine ligands 2,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)maleic anhydride (bma) and 4,5-bis(diphenylphosphino)-4-cyclopenten-1,3-dione (bpcd) furnishes the new mixed-metal complexes CoRu(CO)4(mu-P-P)(mu-PPh2) [where P-P = bma (3a), bpcd (3b)] along with trace amounts of the known complex CoRu(CO)6(PPh3)(mu-PPh2) (4). The requisite pentacarbonyl intermediates CoRu(CO)5(mu-P-P)(mu-PPh2) [where P-P = bma (2a), bpcd (2b)] have been prepared by separate routes (mild thermolysis and Me3NO activation) and studied for their conversion to CoRu(CO)4(mu-P-P)(mu-PPh2). The penta- and tetracarbonyl complexes have been isolated and fully characterized in solution by IR and NMR spectroscopy. The kinetics for the conversion of 2a-->3a and of 2b-->3b were measured by IR spectroscopy in chlorobenzene solvent. On the basis of the first-order rate constants, CO inhibition, and the activation parameters (2a-->3a, delta H++ = 29.2 +/- 1.4 kcal mol-1 and delta S++ = 8.2 +/- 3.8 eu; 2b-->3b, delta H++ = 27.7 +/- 0.6 kcal mol-1 and delta S++ = 1.4 +/- 1.6 eu), a mechanism involving dissociative CO loss as the rate-limiting step is proposed. The solid-state structure of CoRu(CO)4(mu-bma)(mu-PPh2) (3a), as determined by X-ray crystallography, reveals that the two PPh2 groups are bound to the ruthenium center while the maleic anhydride pi bond is coordinated to the cobalt atom.