New Nickel Pincer Complexes Based on Pentamethylruthenocene

New nickel(II) pincer complexes based on the pentamethylruthenocene, NiCl[{2,5-(R2PCH2)2C5H2} Ru(Cp*)] (Cp* = C5Me5, Ia: R = tBu; Ib: R = 'Pr) were synthesized via a two-step route starting from the 1,3-functionally substituted diol {1,3-(HOCH2)C5H3}Ru(Cp*). In the first step, diol was reacted with dialkylphosphines (tBu2PH, 'Pr2PH) in acetic acid to give diphosphines {1,3-(R2PCH2)2C5H3}Ru(Cp*) (R = tBu; 'Pr), which were not isolated in a pure state, but after the removal AcOH, was immediately subjected to cyclometallation with nickel(II) chloride hexahydrate in the presence of pyridine. After all purification procedures, the yields of products Ia and Ib were 31 and 16%, respectively. The complexes were fully characterized by 1H, 31P{1H}, and 13C{1H} NMR spectroscopy. The purity of the products was confirmed by elemental analysis. The structure of complex Ia was established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (CCDC № 2408463).