THE SYNTHESIS, MOLECULAR-STRUCTURE AND CRYSTAL ORGANIZATION OF HRU5C(CO)(13)(ETA(5)-C5H5)

Reaction of the square-pyramidal cluster Ru5C(CO)(15) with NaC5H5 foll owed by HBF4 affords the wingtip-bridged butterfly cluster HRu5C(CO)(1 3)(eta(5)-C5H5) (1) in high yield. Compound 1 has been characterized b y spectroscopy and in the solid-state by a single crystal X-ray diffra ction study. The cyclopentadienyl ring is coordinated to the bridging metal atom and the hydride bridges the Ru-Ru hinge. The molecular orga nization of 1 has been analysed and an intricate network of intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonding is observed. Chemical and structural features of 1 are compared with those of the related benzene cluster, RU(5)C(CO)(13)(eta(6)-C6H6) (2).