New Polydentate Ligand and Catalytic Properties of the Corresponding Ruthenium Complex During Sulfoxidation and Alkene Epoxidation

Half-Sandwich Ruthenium Complexes of Amide-Phosphine Based Ligands: H-Bonding Cavity Assisted Binding and Reduction of Nitro-substrates

We present synthesis and characterization of two half-sandwich Ru(II) complexes supported with amide-phosphine based ligands. These complexes presented a pyridine-2,6-dicarboxamide based pincer cavity, decorated with hydrogen bonds, that participated in the binding of nitro-substrates closer to the Ru(II) centers, which is further supported with binding and docking studies. These ruthenium complexes functioned as the noteworthy catalysts for the borohydride mediated reduction of assorted nitro-substrates. Mechanistic studies not only confirmed the intermediacy of [Ru-H] in the reduction but also asserted the involvement of several organic intermediates during the course of the catalysis. A similar Ru(II) complex that lacked pyridine-2,6-dicarboxamide based pincer cavity substantiated its unique role both in the substrate binding and the subsequent catalysis.

Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction by Trigonal-Bipyramidal Cobalt(II) Polypyridyl Complexes: The Nature of Cobalt(I) and Cobalt(0) Complexes upon Their Reactions with CO2, CO, or Proton

The cobalt complexes Co^IIL1(PF₆)₂ (1; L1 = 2,6-bis[2-(2,2'-bipyridin-6'-yl)ethyl]pyridine) and Co^IIL2(PF₆)₂ (2; L2 = 2,6-bis[2-(4-methoxy-2,2'-bipyridin-6'-yl)ethyl]pyridine) were synthesized and used for photocatalytic CO₂ reduction in acetonitrile. X-ray structures of complexes 1 and 2 reveal distorted trigonal-bipyramidal geometries with all nitrogen atoms of the ligand coordinated to the Co(II) center, in contrast to the common six-coordinate cobalt complexes with pentadentate polypyridine ligands, where a monodentate solvent completes the coordination sphere. Under electrochemical conditions, the catalytic current for CO₂ reduction was observed near the Co(I/0) redox couple for both complexes 1 and 2 at E_1/2 = -1.77 and -1.85 V versus Ag/AgNO₃ (or -1.86 and -1.94 V vs Fc^+/0), respectively. Under photochemical conditions with 2 as the catalyst, [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺ as a photosensitizer, tri- p-tolylamine (TTA) as a reversible quencher, and triethylamine (TEA) as a sacrificial electron donor, CO and H₂ were produced under visible-light irradiation, despite the endergonic reduction of Co(I) to Co(0) by the photogenerated [Ru(bpy)₃]⁺. However, bulk electrolysis in a wet CH₃CN solution resulted in the generation of formate as the major product, indicating the facile production of Co(0) and [Co-H] ⁿ⁺ ( n = 1 and 0) under electrochemical conditions. The one-electron-reduced complex 2 reacts with CO to produce [Co⁰L2(CO)] with ν_CO = 1894 cm^-1 together with [Co^IIL2]²⁺ through a disproportionation reaction in acetonitrile, based on the spectroscopic and electrochemical data. Electrochemistry and time-resolved UV-vis spectroscopy indicate a slow CO binding rate with the [Co^IL2]⁺ species, consistent with density functional theory calculations with CoL1 complexes, which predict a large structural change from trigonal-bipyramidal to distorted tetragonal geometry. The reduction of CO₂ is much slower than the photochemical formation of [Ru(bpy)₃]⁺ because of the large structural changes, spin flipping in the cobalt catalytic intermediates, and an uphill reaction for the reduction to Co(0) by the photoproduced [Ru(bpy)₃]⁺.

Synergistic oxygen atom transfer by ruthenium complexes with non-redox metal ions

Non-redox metal ions can affect the reactivity of active redox metal ions in versatile biological and heterogeneous oxidation processes; however, the intrinsic roles of these non-redox ions still remain elusive. This work demonstrates the first example of the use of non-redox metal ions as Lewis acids to sharply improve the catalytic oxygen atom transfer efficiency of a ruthenium complex bearing the classic 2,2'-bipyridine ligand. In the absence of Lewis acid, the oxidation of ruthenium(ii) complex by PhI(OAc)2 generates the Ru(iv)[double bond, length as m-dash]O species, which is very sluggish for olefin epoxidation. When Ru(bpy)2Cl2 was tested as a catalyst alone, only 21.2% of cyclooctene was converted, and the yield of 1,2-epoxycyclooctane was only 6.7%. As evidenced by electronic absorption spectra and EPR studies, both the oxidation of Ru(ii) by PhI(OAc)2 and the reduction of Ru(iv)[double bond, length as m-dash]O by olefin are kinetically slow. However, adding non-redox metal ions such as Al(iii) can sharply improve the oxygen transfer efficiency of the catalyst to 100% conversion with 89.9% yield of epoxide under identical conditions. Through various spectroscopic characterizations, an adduct of Ru(iv)[double bond, length as m-dash]O with Al(iii), Ru(iv)[double bond, length as m-dash]O/Al(iii), was proposed to serve as the active species for epoxidation, which in turn generated a Ru(iii)-O-Ru(iii) dimer as the reduced form. In particular, both the oxygen transfer from Ru(iv)[double bond, length as m-dash]O/Al(iii) to olefin and the oxidation of Ru(iii)-O-Ru(iii) back to the active Ru(iv)[double bond, length as m-dash]O/Al(iii) species in the catalytic cycle can be remarkably accelerated by adding a non-redox metal, such as Al(iii). These results have important implications for the role played by non-redox metal ions in catalytic oxidation at redox metal centers as well as for the understanding of the redox mechanism of ruthenium catalysts in the oxygen atom transfer reaction.

Powerful Bis-facially Pyrazolate-Bridged Dinuclear Ruthenium Epoxidation Catalyst

A new bis-facial dinuclear ruthenium complex, {[Ru(II)(bpy)]2(μ-bimp)(μ-Cl)}(2+), 2(2+), containing a hexadentate pyrazolate-bridging ligand (Hbimp) and bpy as auxiliary ligands has been synthesized and fully characterized in solution by spectrometric, spectroscopic, and electrochemical techniques. The new compound has been tested with regard to its capacity to oxidize water and alkenes. The in situ generated bis-aqua complex, {[Ru(II)(bpy)(H2O)]2(μ-bimp)}(3+), 3(3+), is an excellent catalyst for the epoxidation of a wide range of alkenes. High turnover numbers (TN), up to 1900, and turnover frequencies (TOF), up to 73 min(-1), are achieved using PhIO as oxidant. Moreover, 3(3+) presents an outstanding stereospecificity for both cis and trans olefins toward the formation of their corresponding epoxides due to specific interactions transmitted by its ligand scaffold. A mechanistic analysis of the epoxidation process has been performed based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations in order to better understand the putative cooperative effects within this dinuclear catalyst.

Tunable Electrochemical and Catalytic Features of BIAN- and BIAO-Derived Ruthenium Complexes

This article deals with a class of ruthenium-BIAN-derived complexes, [Ru(II)(tpm)(R-BIAN)Cl]ClO4 (tpm = tris(1-pyrazolyl)methane, R-BIAN = bis(arylimino)acenaphthene, R = 4-OMe ([1a]ClO4), 4-F ([1b]ClO4), 4-Cl ([1c]ClO4), 4-NO2 ([1d]ClO4)) and [Ru(II)(tpm)(OMe-BIAN)H2O](2+) ([3a](ClO4)2). The R-BIAN framework with R = H, however, leads to the selective formation of partially hydrolyzed BIAO ([N-(phenyl)imino]acenapthenone)-derived complex [Ru(II)(tpm)(BIAO)Cl]ClO4 ([2]ClO4). The redox-sensitive bond parameters involving -N═C-C═N- or -N═C-C═O of BIAN or BIAO in the crystals of representative [1a]ClO4, [3a](PF6)2, or [2]ClO4 establish its unreduced form. The chloro derivatives 1a(+)-1d(+) and 2(+) exhibit one oxidation and successive reduction processes in CH3CN within the potential limit of ±2.0 V versus SCE, and the redox potentials follow the order 1a(+) < 1b(+) < 1c(+) < 1d(+) ≈ 2(+). The electronic structural aspects of 1a(n)-1d(n) and 2(n) (n = +2, +1, 0, -1, -2, -3) have been assessed by UV-vis and EPR spectroelectrochemistry, DFT-calculated MO compositions, and Mulliken spin density distributions in paramagnetic intermediate states which reveal metal-based (Ru(II) → Ru(III)) oxidation and primarily BIAN- or BIAO-based successive reduction processes. The aqua complex 3a(2+) undergoes two proton-coupled redox processes at 0.56 and 0.85 V versus SCE in phosphate buffer (pH 7) corresponding to {Ru(II)-H2O}/{Ru(III)-OH} and {Ru(III)-OH}/{Ru(IV)═O}, respectively. The chloro (1a(+)-1d(+)) and aqua (3a(2+)) derivatives are found to be equally active in functioning as efficient precatalysts toward the epoxidation of a wide variety of alkenes in the presence of PhI(OAc)2 as oxidant in CH2Cl2 at 298 K, though the analogous 2(+) remains virtually inactive. The detailed experimental analysis with the representative precatalyst 1a(+) suggests the involvement of the active {Ru(IV)═O} species in the catalytic cycle, and the reaction proceeds through the radical mechanism, as also supported by the DFT calculations.

Selective sulfoxidation with hydrogen peroxide catalysed by a titanium catalyst

A cyclopentadienyl–silsesquioxane titanium complex efficiently catalyses the selective oxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides (85–98% yield in 5 min at ambient temperature) and sulfones with near-stochiometric amount of aqueous H₂O₂ in methanol.

New dinuclear ruthenium complexes: structure and oxidative catalysis

The synthesis of new dinuclear complexes of the general formula {[Ru(II)(trpy)]2(μ-pdz-dc)(μ-(L)}(+) [pdz-dc is the pyridazine-3,6-dicarboxylate dianion; trpy is 2,2':6',2″-terpyridine; L = Cl (1(+)) or OH (2(+))] is described. These complexes are characterized by the usual analytical and spectroscopic techniques and by X-ray diffraction analysis. Their redox properties are characterized by means of cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Complex 2(+) is used as the starting material to prepare the corresponding Ru-aqua complex {[Ru(II)(trpy)(H2O)]2(μ-pdz-dc)}(2+) (3(2+)), whose electrochemistry is also investigated by means of CV and DPV. Complex 3(2+) is able to catalytically and electrocatalytically oxidize water to dioxygen with moderate efficiencies. In sharp contrast, 3(2+) is a superb catalyst for the epoxidation of alkenes. For the particular case of cis-β-methylstyrene, the catalyst is capable of carrying out 1320 turnovers with a turnover frequency of 11.0 cycles min(-1), generating cis-β-methylstyrene oxide stereospecifically.

Photocatalyzed sulfide oxygenation with water as the unique oxygen atom source

In our research program aiming to develop new ruthenium-based polypyridine catalysts for oxidation we were interested in combining a photosensitizer and a catalytic fragment within the same complex to achieve catalytic light-driven oxidation. To respond to the lack of such conjugates, we report here a new catalytic system capable of using light to activate water molecules in order to perform selective sulfide oxygenation into sulfoxide via an oxygen atom transfer from H(2)O to the substrate with a TON of up to 197 ± 6. On the basis of electrochemical and photophysical studies, a proton-coupled electron-transfer process yielding to an oxidant Ru(IV)-oxo species was proposed. In particular, the synergistic effect between both partners in the dyad yielding a more efficient catalyst compared to the bimolecular system is highlighted.

Synthesis, electrochemical and photophysical properties of heterodinuclear Ru-Mn and Ru-Zn complexes bearing ambident Schiff base ligand

While ruthenium tris(diimine) complexes have been extensively studied, this is not the case with ruthenium bis(diimine)X(2) complexes where X represents a pyridinyl-based ligand. The synthesis of a new complex ([2][PF(6)](2)) bearing two ambident Schiff base ligands (HL) constituted by the assembly of phenol and pyridinyl moieties is reported. Thanks to the heteroditopic property of HL, compound [2](2+) was used as an original metalloligand for the coordination of a redox-active (Mn(III)) and redox-inactive (Zn(II)) second metal cation affording three heterodinuclear complexes, namely, [(bpy)(2)Ru(2)Mn(acac)][PF(6)](2) ([3][PF(6)](2); acac = acetylacetonate), [(bpy)(2)Ru(2)Mn(OAc)][PF(6)](2) ([4][PF(6)](2), OAc = acetate), and [(bpy)(2)Ru(2)Zn][PF(6)](2) ([5][PF(6)](2)). The influence of the second metal with regard to the photophysical and electrochemical properties of the ruthenium bis(diimine)X(2) subunit was then investigated. In the case of Ru(II)-Mn(III) heterodinuclear complexes, a partial quenching of the luminescence was observed as a consequence of an efficient electron transfer process from the ruthenium to the manganese. EPR and spectrophotometric analyses of the oxidized species resulting from the one-electron oxidation of compounds [3](2+) and [4](2+) showed the formation of a Mn(IV) species for [3](2+) and an organic free radical for [4](2+).