Protonation of a Ruthenium Vinylidene Complex with a NO Ligand Leading to Ruthenium Vinyl Complexes

Treatment of a ruthenium, vinylidene complex bearing a bent-type NO ligand, RuCl(NO)(PPh(3))(2){=C=CH-(C(6)H(4)Me)} (1), with protic acids gave rise to the ruthenium vinyl complexes RuCl(X){(Z)-CH=CH(C(6)H(4)Me)}(PPh(3))(2)-(NO) (X = Cl (2a), O(2)CCF(3) (2b), FBF(3) (2c)) with concomitant transformation to linear-type NO. This indicates unusal protonation at the vinylidene alpha-carbon and anion-part coordination of the protic acids to the ruthenium atom (it the trans position to the resulting vinyl group. The coordinated BF(4) moiety of 2c was easily replaced to be a counteranion by MeCN solvent molecules, Yielding [RuCl{(Z)-CH=CH(C(6)H(4)Me)}(NCMe)(PPh(3))(2)(NO)]BP(4) (3).