The preparation and characterization of newosmium(II) and osmium(IV) silyl derivativescontaining the cyclopentadienyl(phosphine) andpentamethylcyclopentadienyl(phosphine)ligand sets are described. The osmium silyl complexes are preparedby thermal reactionsof hydrosilanes with osmium(II) alkyl complexes of the typeCp'(PR
3)
2OsCH
2SiMe
3(Cp' =Cp, R = Ph (
4), Me (
5); Cp' =
![](/images/gifchars/eta.gif)
BORDER=0 >
5-C
5Me
5, R = Me(
7)), which in turn are available viaalkylationof the corresponding bromo complexes. The synthesis of alkylderivatives of Cp(PR
3)
2Os(R= Ph, Me) requires the use of dialkylmagnesium reagents, whilealkylation of the moreelectron-rich Cp*(PMe
3)
2Os system canbe achieved using Grignard reagents. Additionally,reaction of Cp(PPh
3)
2OsBr with AgOTf(Tf = SO
2CF
3) affords the osmium(II)triflate complexCp(PPh
3)
2OsOTf (
2), whichpossesses a labile triflate group. The structure of complex
2was determined by X-ray crystallography. Similar to theirruthenium analogs, the osmium(II) alkyl complexes
4,
5, and
7thermally activate arene C-H
bonds. Reaction of
7withHSiR
2[S(
p-Tol)] (R =S(
p-Tol), Me) provides metallacycle complexes of the
typeCp*(PMe3)(H)Os[C6H3(3-Me)(6-S)SiR2](R = S(
p-Tol) (
11), Me (
13)) viaactivation of
both the Si-Hand arene C-H
bonds in the silanes. The X-ray structure of
13 is described. Alkyl complexes
4,
5, and
7 react withHSiR
2Cl (R = Ph, Me) to give osmium(II) silyland/or osmium(IV)bis(silyl) hydride species, depending on the reaction conditionsand the strength of the Os-P
bond. Reaction of
7 with HSiMeCl
2 orHSiCl
3 affords, exclusively, the osmium(II)silylderivatives. Exchange reactions at silicon are used to synthesizeCp*(PMe
3)
2OsSiMe
2OTf(
24) andCp*(PMe
3)
2OsSiMe[S(
p-Tol)]
2(
25) from the corresponding chloro(silyl)complexesCp*(PMe
3)
2OsSiMe
2Cl(
17) andCp*(PMe
3)
2OsSiMeCl
2(
18). The solution behavior and solid-state structure of
24 indicate that the compound may bedescribed as a base-stabilized silylenecomplex.