The present Minireview covers the formation and the structural characterization of noble metal carbonyl and hydrido carbonyl complexes, with particular emphasis on ruthenium complexes using formic acid as a carbonyl and hydride source. The catalytic activity of these organometallic compounds for the decarboxylation of formic acid, a potential hydrogen storage material, is also reviewed. In addition, the first preparation of [Ru(4)(CO)(12)H(4)] from RuCl(3) and formic acid as well as the catalytic activity of [Ru(4)(CO)(12)H(4)] for the decomposition of formic acid to hydrogen and carbon dioxide are presented.
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