Synthesis and Crystal Structure of Undecacarbonyl (triphenylphospine)-triangulo-triruthenium, Ru3(CO)11Ph3P

Irradiation of Ru3(CO)12 hexane in the presence of triphenylphosphine gives undecacarbonyl (triphenylphosphine)- triangulo -triruthenium in addition to the previously obtained Ru(CO)4PPh3 and Ru(CO)3(PPh3)2. X-Ray structure determination of the cluster compound reveals a single isomer in which there is a triangle of ruthenium atoms with the triphenylphosphine equatorially substituted and all the carbonyl groups terminally sited. The Ru-Ru distances are 2.907(3), 2.876(3) and 2.875(3)Å, with the longest distance cis to the triphenylphosphine ligand. The crystals are monoclinic space group C2/c with a 22.30(2)Å, b 16.34(1)Å, c 17.42(1)Å, B  103.84(4)° and Z  8. The structure was refined to R 7.2% for 1773 observed counter amplitudes.