Diruthenium tetracarbonyl complexes of sawhorse-type

[Ru3(CO)12] reacts with pivalic acid affording violet [{Ru2(μ-O2CtBu)2(CO)4}n] (1). 1 is readily dissolved in a variety of solvents affording yellow solutions. In these solutions the dinuclear frameworks are linked by solvent molecules resulting in a novel coordination polymer structure which was elucidated by X-ray diffraction in the case of ethoxyethanol.