The ruthenium(II) (tetrahydroborate)hydride complex
[(triphos)RuH(BH4)] (1) reacts
with
benzo[b]thiophene (BT) in THF at 40 °C
yielding, after 3 h, a mixture of four different
compounds:
[(triphos)RuH{BH3(o-S(C6H4)CH2CH3)}]
(2),
[(triphos)Ru{η4-S(C6H4)CH(CH3)}]
(3),
[(triphos)RuH(μ-S(C6H4)CH2CH3)2HRu(triphos)]
(4), and
[(triphos)RuH(μ-BH4)HRu(triphos)]+ (5
+
)
(triphos = MeC(CH2PPh2)3).
After two further hours of reaction, 3
disappears
and is completely converted to 4. Further heating at 40
°C does not change the product
composition (2, 4, and
5
+
in a 4:1.3:3 ratio). A
variety of independent reactions with isolated
compounds have been performed with the aim of elucidating the mechanism
of the C−S
insertion/hydrogenation of BT to the 2-ethylthiophenolate ligand.
The μ-thiolate complex 4
reacts in THF with dihydrogen (≥160 °C, 30 bar H2) or
with HBF4·OEt2 (20 °C)
yielding
ethylbenzene and 2-ethylthiophenol, respectively. No reaction
occurs with LiHBEt3. All of
the reactions and new complexes reported have been studied by
multinuclear NMR
spectroscopy. An X-ray analysis has been carried out on a single
crystal of 2.