Synthesis of ruthenium triazolato complexes by the [3 + 2] cycloaddition of a ruthenium azido complex with acetylacetylenes

The straightforward synthesis of N-coordinated ruthenium 4-aryl-1,2,3-triazolato complexes by [3 + 2] cycloaddition reactions of a ruthenium azido complex with terminal phenylacetylenes and non-covalent aromatic interactions in structures

The straightforward preparation of N-coordinated ruthenium triazolato complexes by [3 + 2] cycloaddition reactions of a ruthenium azido complex [Ru]-N3 (1, [Ru] = (η5-C5H5)(dppe)Ru, dppe = Ph2PCH2CH2PPh2) with a series of terminal phenylacetylenes is reported. The reaction products, N(2)-bound ruthenium 4-aryl-1,2,3-triazolato complexes such as [Ru]N3C2H(4-C6H4CN) (2), [Ru]N3C2H(4-C6H4CHO) (3), [Ru]N3C2H(4-C6H4F) (4), [Ru]N3C2H(Ph) (5) and [Ru]N3C2H(4-C6H4CH3) (6) were produced from 4-ethynylbenzonitrile, 4-ethynylbenzaldehyde, 1-ethynyl-4-fluorobenzene, phenylacetylene and 4-ethynyltoluene, respectively, at 80 °C or above under an atmosphere of air. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of the preparation of N-coordinated ruthenium aryl-substituted 1,2,3-triazolato complexes by the [3 + 2] cycloaddition of a metal-coordinated azido ligand and a terminal aryl acetylene, less electron-deficient terminal aryl alkynes. All of the compounds have been fully characterized and the structures of complexes 2, 3, 5 and 6 were confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Each compound participates in non-covalent aromatic interactions in the solid-state structure which can be favorable in the binding of DNA/biomolecular targets and has shown great potential in the development of biologically active anticancer drugs.

Facile synthesis of 1,5-disubstituted tetrazoles by reacting a ruthenium acetylide complex with trimethylsilyl azide

Treatment of [Ru]-C[triple bond, length as m-dash]CPh (1, [Ru] = (η⁵-C₅H₅)(dppe)Ru, dppe = Ph₂PCH₂CH₂PPh₂) with trimethylsilyl azide afforded the cationic nitrile complex {[Ru]NCCH₂Ph}[N₃] (2) and the further cycloaddition of 2 with trimethylsilyl azide at 60 °C afforded the N(2)-bound tetrazolato complex [Ru]N₄CCH₂Ph (3). The regiospecific alkylation of 3 gave a series of cationic N(2)-bound N(4)-alkylated-5-benzyl tetrazolato complexes {[Ru]N₄(CH₂R)CCH₂Ph}[Br] (4a, R = C₆F₅; 4b, R = Ph; 4c, R = 4-CN-C₆H₄; 4d, R = 2,6-F₂-C₆H₃; 4e, R = 6-CH₂Br-C₅NH₃) and the subsequent cleavage of the Ru-N bond of 4a-4e gave N(1)-alkylated-5-benzyl tetrazoles N₄(CH₂R)CCH₂Ph (5a-5e) in good to excellent yields and [Ru]-Br, which, on reacting with phenylacetylene, resulted in the formation of 1 thus forming a reaction cycle. The structures of 2, 3, 4a, 4c and 5a were confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.