Reaction of [(dcy
pb)ClRu(
-Cl)
3Ru(dcy
pb)(N
2)] (
1) with 4 equiv of the stable silylene 1,3-di-
tert-butyl-1,3,2-diazasilol-2-ylidene (SiL
N2) yields coordinatively unsaturated RuCl(
3-dcy
pb)(SiL
N2) (
2). Com
plex
2 is a rare exam
ple of a trans-s
panning di
phos
phine com
plex,this geometry resulting from an un
precedented attack of the metal on the tetramethyleneligand backbone. X-ray and solid-state
31P NMR and IR analysis reveal an agostic interactionbetween the metal and a silylene Bu
t grou
p. In solution, this interaction is observed only atlow tem
perature. Reaction of
2 with H
2 containing trace H
2O yields siloxane dimer [L
N2Si(H)]
2O
3 and the ruthenium hydride-H
2 adduct [(dcy
pb)(H)Ru(
-Cl)
2(
-H)Ru(dcy
pb)(H
2)](
4). Attem
pts to isolate
4 resulted in serendi
pitous crystallization of decom
position
product
5, [(dcy
pb)(H)Ru(
-Cl)
3Ru(dcy
pb)(N
2)]. X-ray analysis of
5 revealed a structure closelyanalogous to that of
4, in which bridging hydride is re
placed by chloride, and
2-H
2 by
2-N
2. Dis
placement of silylene from
2 is facile: treatment with 1 atm of CO affords free SiL
N2,accom
panied by RuCl(
3-dcy
pb)(CO)
2 as a mixture of three isomers (
6-
8).