Operationally unsaturated ruthenium complex stabilized by a phosphine 1-azaallyl ligand.

Coordinatively unsaturated transition-metal compounds stabilized by supplemental electron donation from π-basic ligands are described as "operationally unsaturated". Such complexes are useful analogues of active catalyst structures that readily react with substrate molecules. We report that [PhP(CH)NCHC(CH)] (L1) effectively stabilizes Ru(II) in an operationally unsaturated form.

Changes in ligand coordination mode induce bimetallic C-C coupling pathways.

Carbon-carbon coupling is one of the most powerful tools in the organic synthesis arsenal. Known methodologies primarily exploit monometallic Pd/Pd catalytic mechanisms to give new C-C bonds. Bimetallic C-C coupling mechanisms that involve a Pd/Pd redox cycle, remain underexplored.