SCISSION OF ETHYNE INTO 2 METHYLIDYNE LIGANDS - C-C VS C-H BOND ACTIVATION

The dimolybdenum alkyne complexes [Mo-2(CO)(4)(mu-R(1)C(2)R(2))(eta-C5 H5)(2)] (R(1) = R(2) = Me; R(1) = H, R(2) = H, Me, Ph) react with [Ru- 3(CO)(12)] in refluxing toluene or heptane to give the hexanuclear bis (alkylidyne) clusters 4(mu(3)-CR(1))(mu(3)-CR(2))(CO)(12)(eta-C5H5)(2) ]; this represents the first reported transformation of ethyne into tw o methylidyne ligands on a metal cluster.