The complexes [CpRuCl(dippe)] and [Cp*RuCl(dippe)](Cp = C
5H
5; Cp* =C
5Me
5; dippe =1,2-bis(diisopropylphosphino)ethane) react withH
2 and Na[BPh
4] in EtOH or MeOHtofurnish the dihydrides[CpRuH
2(dippe)][BPh
4](
1) and[Cp*RuH
2(dippe)][BPh
4](
2). Thesecompounds are deprotonated by KOBu
t to yield themonohydrides [CpRuH(dippe)] (
3) and[Cp*RuH(dippe)] (
4), which can
be protonated
back byHBF
4·OEt
2 at low temperaturestogive the dihydrogen adducts[CpRu(H
2)(dippe)][BF
4](
5) and[Cp*Ru(H
2)(dippe)][BF
4](
6).These compounds rearrange irreversibly to the dihydride form asthe temperature is raised.A kinetic study of these rearrangement processes suggests that theisomerization mechanismis different in each case. The dinitrogen complex[CpRu(N
2)(dippe)][BPh
4] (
7)and the acetoneadduct[CpRu(Me
2CO)(dippe)][BPh
4](
8) were obtained by reaction of [CpRuCl(dippe)]withAg
+ in acetone under dinitrogen or argon, respectively,followed by NaBPh
4/EtOH. Bothcompounds react with atmospheric oxygen yielding[CpRu(
6-C
6H
5BPh
3)](
9) and
iPr
2P(O)CH
2CH
2P(O)
iPr
2. Thedinitrogen adduct[Cp*Ru(N
2)(dippe)][BPh
4](
10) was also obtained, butit reacts irreversibly with traces of O
2 to give thedioxygen complex[Cp*Ru(O
2)(dippe)][BPh
4],previously known. A range of neutral donors L also react with[CpRuCl(dippe)] or [Cp*RuCl(dippe)] and NaBPh
4 furnishing the corresponding complexes[CpRu(L)(dippe)][BPh
4] (L=CO (
11), CNBu
t (
12),C
2H
4 (
13)), or[Cp*Ru(L)(dippe)][BPh
4] (L = CO(
14), CNBu
t (
15),C
2H
4(
16)). The ethylene adduct
16 is only stableunder an ethylene atmosphere, whereas
13 isa stable species. The X-ray crystal structures of compounds
2,
12, and
13 are alsoreported.