Octadienediyl dichlorides of ruthenium(IV) as synthetic reagents in organoruthenium chemistry. Isolation of a protonated open metallocene [Ru(η5-C7H11)2H][BF4]

Chloride extraction from [Ru(η3 : η3-C10H16)Cl2]2 or [Ru(η3 : η3-C10H16)Cl2L][L = P(OMe)3 or ButNC], in the presence of diolefins, results in labilisation of the 2,7-dimethyloctadienediyl ligand and provides syntheses of some new organoruthenium complexes, including the protonated ‘open metallocene’[Ru(η5-C7H11)2H][BF4].