The Influence of N-Heterocyclic Carbenes (NHC) on the Reactivity of [Ru(NHC)4H]+ With H2, N2, CO and O2

The five‐coordinate ruthenium N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) hydrido complexes [Ru(IiPr2Me2)4H][BArF4] (1; IiPr2Me2=1,3‐diisopropyl‐4,5‐dimethylimidazol‐2‐ylidene; ArF=3,5‐(CF3)2C6H3), [Ru(IEt2Me2)4H][BArF4] (2; IEt2Me2=1,3‐diethyl‐4,5‐dimethylimidazol‐2‐ylidene) and [Ru(IMe4)4H][BArF4] (3; IMe4=1,3,4,5‐tetramethylimidazol‐2‐ylidene) have been synthesised following reaction of [Ru(PPh3)3HCl] with 4–8 equivalents of the free carbenes at ambient temperature. Complexes 1–3 have been structurally characterised and show square pyramidal geometries with apical hydride ligands. In both dichloromethane or pyridine solution, 1 and 2 display very low frequency hydride signals at about δ −41. The tetramethyl carbene complex 3 exhibits a similar chemical shift in toluene, but shows a higher frequency signal in acetonitrile arising from the solvent adduct [Ru(IMe4)4(MeCN)H][BArF4], 4. The reactivity of 1–3 towards H2 and N2 depends on the size of the N‐substituent of the NHC ligand. Thus, 1 is unreactive towards both gases, 2 reacts with both H2 and N2 only at low temperature and incompletely, while 3 affords [Ru(IMe4)4(η2‐H2)H][BArF4] (7) and [Ru(IMe4)4(N2)H][BArF4] (8) in quantitative yield at room temperature. CO shows no selectivity, reacting with 1–3 to give [Ru(NHC)4(CO)H][BArF4] (9–11). Addition of O2 to solutions of 2 and 3 leads to rapid oxidation, from which the RuIII species [Ru(NHC)4(OH)2][BArF4] and the RuIV oxo chlorido complex [Ru(IEt2Me2)4(O)Cl][BArF4] were isolated. DFT calculations reproduce the greater ability of 3 to bind small molecules and show relative binding strengths that follow the trend CO ≫ O2 > N2 > H2. React! The N‐heterocyclic carbene substituents determine the reactivity of the 16‐electron cationic species [Ru(NHC)4H]+ towards H2, N2, CO and O2. Experimental and computational studies reveal that stable and isolable dihydrogen and dinitrogen complexes can be formed when the NHC is 1,3,4,5‐tetramethylimidazol‐2‐ylidene.