Synthesis and crystal structure of {Ru 2 (CO) 6 -μ 2 -η 3 -[(Ph)C C(H) C(H) N C(H) C(H) C(H)(Ph)]} — The first structurally characterized iminoallyl ruthenium carbonyl complex

The dinuclear ruthenium carbonyl cluster {Ru2(CO)6-μ2-η3-[(Ph)CC(H)C(H)NC(H)C(H)C(H)(Ph)]} is produced from the reaction of cinnamaldehyde and Ru3(CO)12 in a 2.0M solution of ammonia in ethanol. From the crystal structure it gets obvious that ammonia reacted with two molecules of cinnamaldehyde. The resulting ligand may best be described as a formally dianionic ruthenium coordinated imino-allyl-system with one exocyclic 3-phenylallylidene unit that shows no interaction with the transition metals whereas the second one is bound to ruthenium via a CH activation step in γ-position with respect to the nitrogen atom.