Pentamethylcyclopentadienyl-trimethylphosphine-metal compounds play an important role in the activation studies of saturated hydrocarbons. A method to synthesize ethyltetramethylruthenium compounds was established, which started from the reaction of RuCl_3. H_2O with ethyltetramethylcyclopentadiene to give a dimer compound of 2. When 2 was reacted with different amounts of trimethylphosphine, compounds 3 [C_5Me_4EtRu(PMe_3)Cl_2] and 4 [(C_5Me_4Et)Ru(PMe_3)_2Cl] were obtained. Compound 3 is a 17-electron species which is in formula similar to Bergman’s Ir compound used in hydrocarbon activation reaction, but might be more reactive because of its unsaturated electron structure. The crystal structure analysis of compounds 2, 3 and 4, showed that the ruthenium atom was coordinated in a “threeleg-piano-stool” geometry in all the three compounds. The Ru—Cl bond in 3 and 4 was lengthened, making it labile to other substitution reactions. Pentamethylcyclopentadienyl-trimethylphosphine-metal compounds play an important role in the activation studies of saturated hydrocarbons. A method to synthesize ethyltetramethylruthenium compounds was established, which started from the reaction of RuCl_3. H_2O with ethyltetramethylcyclopentadiene to give a dimer compound of 2. When 2 was caused Compound 3 is a 17-electron species which is similar to Bergman’s Ir compound used in hydrocarbon activation reaction, but might be more reactive because of its unsaturated electron structure. The crystal structure analysis of compounds 2, 3 and 4, showed that the ruthenium atom was coordinated in a “threeleg-piano-stool” geometry in all the three compounds. The Ru-Cl bond in 3 and 4 was lengthened, making it labile to other substitution reactions.