Synthesis and reactions of the di-µ-hydrido compound [Mn2H2(CO)4(Ph2PCH2PPh2)2]

Decarbonylation of [Mn2HBr(CO)5(dppm)2](dppm = Ph2PCH2PPh2) using Me3No and treatment of the resultant tetracarbonyl derivative in tetrahydrofuran with LiAlH4 gives deep purple crystals of the formally unsaturated compound [Mn2H2(CO)4(dppm)2]which inserts MeCHO or MeNC to give µ-EtO or µ-MeNCH complexes and reacts with certain orher ligands such as CO or P(OMe)3 with displacement of H2.