[RuH2(CO)(PPh3)3], reacts with styrene to give two species: a bis(styrene)ruthenium(0) complex, [Ru(CO)(CH2=CHPh)2(PPh3)2], and a cyclometallated hydridoruthenium(II) one, [Ru(C6H4PPh2)H(CO)(PPh3)2]. The complex [RuH2(CO)(PPh3)3] reacts with isoprene to give a piano-stool type ruthenium(0) complex [Ru(η4-CH2=CMeCH=CH2)(CO)(PPh3)2]. In reactions among [RuH2(CO)(PPh3)3], styrene, and 3′-(trifluoromethyl)acetophenone
unit appended on the single-carbon linker, the ligand harbors an unusually rigid backbone that presumably stabilizes its complexation with transition metals during catalysis. Compared with the known dppm ligand, it exhibited superior reactivity and regioselectivity in a number of alkene hydrofunctionalization reactions, catalyzed by iridium and rhodium.