SYNTHESIS AND STRUCTURE OF A NEW COMPLEX OF RUTHENIUM CONTAINING THE TETRA(MU-TERTBUTYLBENZOATE)DIRUTHENIUM(II,III) UNIT

The compound Ru2Cl(mu-O2CC6H4-p-Me3)4 has been prepared by the reaction of RU2Cl(mu-O2CCH3)4 With p-tertbutylbenzoic acid in a water/methanol mixture (1:1). The reactions of RU2Cl(mu-O2CC6H4-p-CMe3)4 with AgBF4, in anhydrous or wet thf, lead to [RU2(mu-O2CC6H4-p-CMe3)4(thf)JBF4 and [RU2(mu-O2CC6H4-P-CMe3)4(thf)2]OH, respectively. The compounds are characterized by elemental analysis, magnetic measurements and spectroscopic techniques. The structure of [RU2(mu-O2CC6H4-P-CMe3)4(thf)2]OH has been determined by X-ray crystallography. The compound has four bridging p-tert-butylbenzoate ligands with an Ru-Ru distance of 2.260(1) angstrom; the coordination of each ruthenium atom is completed with a thf ligand which is occupying the axial position in the Ru2(5+) unit.