New Types of Coupling Reactions of Some Nitriles on Ruthenium Complexes

A hydridoruthenium(II) complex [RuClH(CO)(PPh3)3] reacts with o-toluonitrile and water at 120 °C to give a novel five-membered cyclometallated complex, [Ru(C6H3MECH=NCH2C6H4Me-o)Cl(CO)(PPh3)2]. The hydrido complex reacts with benzoylacetonitrile at 80 °C to form a six-membered chelate complex, [RuCl{O=C(Ph)C(CN)=C(CH2COPh)NH}(CO)(PPh3)2].