Complexes of ruthenium(II) with unsymmetrical diphosphines and diphosphinomethanides. A way to synthesize chiral metallodiphosphines

Ruthenium(II) complexes with the unsymmetrical diphosphinomethanide [(PPh2C HPBu2)-Bu-t](-) containing isocyanides and chiral amines as ancillary ligan ds were prepared, and the molecular structure of [Ru((CNBu)-Bu-t)(4){(PPh2C HPBu2)-Bu-t)}](+) was studied by X-ray crystallography. The reactivity of t he coordinated methanide toward [AuCl(PPh3)] was investigated, leading to t he stereoselective formation of the chiral metallodiphosphine [PPh2CH(AuPPh 3)(PBu2)-Bu-t].