Half sandwich ruthenium(II) hydrides: hydrogenation of terminal, internal, cyclic and functionalized olefins.

Bis(1,2,3-triazolylidene) silver(I) complex 1a was reacted with [RuCl2(p-cymene)]2 to give the ruthenium complex [PhCH2N2(NMe)C2(C6H4CF3)]RuCl2(p-cymene) (2a) as major product in addition to the minor C(sp(2))-H activated product [PhCH2N2(NMe)C2(C6H3CF3)]RuCl(p-cymene) (2a'). Similar ruthenium complexes 2b, 2c, 2d and 2e with general formula RuCl2(p-cymene)(NHC) (NHC = MesCH2N2(NMe)C2Ph 2b, PhCH2N2(NMe)C2Ph 2c, TripCH2N2(NMe)C2Ph 2d, IMes 2e) were also synthesized. Subsequent reaction of Me3SiOSO2CF3 with 2a and 2b resulted in cationic ruthenium species [(PhCH2N2(NMe)C2(C6H4CF3))RuCl(p-cymene)][OSO2CF3] (3a) and [(MesCH2N2(NMe)C2Ph)RuCl(p-cymene)][OSO2CF3] (3b), respectively. Complexes 3a and 3b dissolved in CD3CN to give [(PhCH2N2(NMe)C2(C6H4CF3))RuCl(CD3CN)(p-cymene)][OSO2CF3] (4a) and [(MesCH2N2(NMe)C2Ph)RuCl(CD3CN)(p-cymene)][OSO2CF3] (4b), respectively. Cationic ruthenium species 4a and 4b failed to show catalytic activity towards hydrogenation of olefins. Ruthenium(II) complexes 2b-e with the general formula RuCl2(p-cymene)(NHC) were reacted with Et3SiH to generate a series of ruthenium(II) hydrides 5b-e. These compounds 5b-e are effective catalysts for the hydrogenation of terminal, internal and cyclic and functionalized olefins.