Selective insertion of mercury(II) halides into the ruthenium–mercury bonds of trinuclear Ru2Hg clusters
Abstract
The complex [Ru2(µ-dan)(CO)4(PPri3)2]1(H2dan = naphthalene-1,8-diamine) reacts with HgX2(X = Cl, Br or I) to give the trinuclear clusters [(1)HgX2] which react with HgZ2(Z = Cl, Br or I) to form the insertion products [(1)Hg(µ-Z)2HgX2] only when Z is more electronegative than X, otherwise the addition products [(1)Hg(µ-X)2HgZ2] are obtained; the X-ray structure of [(1)Hg(µ-Cl)2HgCl2] has been determined.