Syntheses of complexes containing substituted 4-ethynylquinolines or 1-azabuta-1,3-dienes by addition of imines to a cationic butatrienylidene-ruthenium complex

Reactions of [Ru(=C=C=C=CH2)CP](+) (R = Ph or OMe) with arylimines ArN=CH(C 6H4R) afford either substituted quinolines, Ru{C=CC9H4RN(Ar)}(PR3)(2)Cp, by attack of the terminal carbon of the butatrienylidene ligand at the imine carbon, followed by C-C bond formation between the ortho carbon of the N-ar yl group and C-y of the unsaturated carbene, or 1-azabuta-1,3-dienyl comple xes, formed by cycloaddition of the N=CH group to C-y=C-delta of the carben e, followed by opening of the resulting four-membered ring. Some product de pendence on the nature of the substituents in the N- and C-aryl groups is f ound. The N atoms in the products are strongly basic, being readily protona ted, methylated or aurated. The molecular structures of nine complexes are reported, together with that of a new modification of RuCl{P(OMe)(3)}(2)Cp. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.