Substituent-free gallium by hydrogenolysis of coordinated GaCp*: synthesis and structure of highly fluxional [Ru2(Ga)(GaCp*)7(H)3].

All change: Complete ligand exchange through the hydrogenation of [Ru(eta(4)-cod)(eta(6)-cot)] in the presence of GaCp* under mild conditions leads to the title complex featuring a "naked" gallium atom bridging two ruthenium centers (see structure: C white, Ga blue, Ru red). This cluster can be considered as a trapped intermediate on the way to mixed-metal nanoparticles; cot = 1,3,5-cyclooctatriene; cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene, Cp* = C(5)Me(5).