The formal umpolung behaviour of protonic acids containing coordinating anions towards diphosphazane-bridged derivatives of nonacarbonyldiruthenium

Reaction of [Ru2(μ-CO)(CO)4{μ-(RO)2PN(Et)(OR)2}2] (R = Me or Pri) with the protonic acids HCl, HBr, HNO3, H2BO2F, CF3COOH, PhSH/HPF6, and H2CO3/HPF6 produces [Ru2A(CO)5 {μ-(RO)2PN(Et)(OR)2}2]+ and/or [Ru2(μ-A)(CO)4{μ-(RO)2PN(Et)(OR)2}2]+ (A = Cl, Br, ON(O)O, OB(F)OH, OC(CF3)O, SPh, and OC(OH)O) via [Ru2H(CO)5{μ-(RO)2PN(Et)(OR)2}2]+ as intermediate; the structure of [Ru2{μ-OB(F)OH}(CO)4{-(PriO)2PN(Et)P(OPri)2}]+ has been established X-ray crystallographically.