Cationic, neutral and anionic complexes of ruthenium(II) containing η6-arene ligands

Synthesis, Characterization, and Biological Activity of Water-Soluble, Dual Anionic and Cationic Ruthenium-Arene Complexes Bearing Imidazol(in)ium-2-dithiocarboxylate Ligands

An efficient synthetic protocol was devised for the preparation of five cationic ruthenium-arene complexes bearing imidazol(in)ium-2-dithiocarboxylate ligands from the [RuCl₂(p-cymene)]₂ dimer and 2 equiv of an NHC·CS₂ zwitterion. The reactions proceeded cleanly and swiftly in dichloromethane at room temperature to afford the expected [RuCl(p-cymene)(S₂C·NHC)]Cl products in quantitative yields. When the [RuCl₂(p-cymene)]₂ dimer was reacted with only 1 equiv of a dithiolate betaine under the same experimental conditions, a set of five bimetallic compounds with the generic formula [RuCl(p-cymene)(S₂C·NHC)][RuCl₃(p-cymene)] was obtained in quantitative yields. These novel, dual anionic and cationic ruthenium-arene complexes were fully characterized by various analytical techniques. NMR titrations showed that the chelation of the dithiocarboxylate ligands to afford [RuCl(p-cymene)(S₂C·NHC)]⁺ cations was quantitative and irreversible. Conversely, the formation of the [RuCl₃(p-cymene)]^- anion was limited by an equilibrium, and this species readily dissociated into Cl^- anions and the [RuCl₂(p-cymene)]₂ dimer. The position of the equilibrium was strongly influenced by the nature of the solvent and was rather insensitive to the temperature. Two monometallic and two bimetallic complexes cocrystallized with water, and their molecular structures were solved by X-ray diffraction analysis. Crystallography revealed the existence of strong interactions between the azolium ring protons of the cationic complexes and neighboring donor groups from the anions or the solvent. The various compounds under investigation were highly soluble in water. They were all strongly cytotoxic against K562 cancer cells. Furthermore, with a selectivity index of 32.1, the [RuCl(p-cymene)(S₂C·SIDip)]Cl complex remarkably targeted the erythroleukemic cells vs mouse splenocytes.

Synthesis of Multisubstituted 1-Naphthoic Acids via Ru-Catalyzed C-H Activation and Double-Alkyne Annulation under Air

An efficient [2 + 2 + 2] benzannulation of phthalic acids/anhydrides with two alkynes was developed for synthesis of multisubstituted 1-naphthoic acids via Ru-catalyzed C-H activation. The reaction preceded well using atmospheric oxygen as the sole oxidant with high atom/step economies. Facilitated by the free carboxyl group, the products can be easily converted to diverse polycyclic molecules.

Half-sandwich arene ruthenium complexes: synthetic strategies and relevance in catalysis

Half-sandwich arene ruthenium complexes exhibit versatile chemistry, serve as excellent precursors and find potential applications in many organic transformations. This review mainly focuses on the chemistry of piano-stool ruthenium complexes with special emphasis on the achiral or chiral-at-ruthenium center. Also, it deals with the synthesis, nomenclature and stereochemistry of arene ruthenium complexes along with mechanistic insights into the epimerization reactions and their applications in catalytic organic transformations with some selected examples.

Organometallic cis-Dichlorido Ruthenium(II) Ammine Complexes

Bifunctional neutral half-sandwich RuII complexes of the type [(η6-arene)Ru(NH3)Cl2] where arene is p-cym (1) or bip (2) were synthesised by the reaction of N,N-dimethylbenzylamine (dmba), NH4PF6 and the corresponding RuII arene dimer, and were fully characterised. X-ray crystallographic studies of [(η6-p-cym)Ru(NH3)Cl2]·{(dmba-H)(PF6)} (1a) and [(η6-bip)Ru(NH3)Cl2] (2) show extensive H-bond interactions in the solid state, mainly involving the NH3 and the Cl ligands, as well as weak aromatic stacking interactions. The half-lives for the sequential hydrolysis of 1 and 2 determined by UV/Vis spectroscopy at 310 K ranged from a few minutes for the first aquation to ca. 45 min for the second aquation; the diaqua adducts were the predominant species at equilibrium. Arene loss during the aquation of complex 2 was observed. Upon hydrolysis, both complexes readily formed mono- and di-9-ethylguanine (9-EtG) adducts in aqueous solution at 310 K. The reaction reached equilibrium after ca. 1.8 h in the case of complex 1 and was slower but more complete for complex 2 (before the onset of arene loss at ca. 2.7 h). Complexes 1 and 2 were not cytotoxic towards A2780 human ovarian cancer cells up to the maximum concentration tested (100 μM).

How to elucidate and control the redox sequence in vinylbenzoate and vinylpyridine bridged diruthenium complexes

Vinylbenzoate-bridged diruthenium complexes (RHC=CH)(CO)(P(i)Pr(3))(2)Ru(mu-4-OOCC(6)H(4)-CH=CH)RuCl(CO)(P(i)Pr(3))(2) (R = Ph, 3a or CF(3), 3b) and vinylpyridine-bridged (eta(6)-p-cymene)Cl(2)Ru(mu-NC(5)H(4)-4-CH=CH)RuCl(CO)(P(i)Pr(3))(2) (3c) have been prepared from their monoruthenium precursors and investigated with respect to the sequence of the individual redox steps and electron delocalization in their partially and fully oxidized states. Identification of the primary redox sites rests on the trends in redox potentials and the EPR, IR and Vis/NIR signatures of the oxidized radical cations and is correctly reproduced by quantum chemical investigations. Our results indicate that the trifluoropropenyl complex 3b has an inverse FMO level ordering (Ru1-bridge-Ru2 > terminal vinyl-Ru1 site) when compared to its styryl substituted counterpart 3a such that the primary oxidation site in these systems can be tuned by the choice of the terminal alkenyl ligand. It is further shown that the vinylbenzoate bridge is inferior to the vinylpyridine one with regard to charge and spin delocalization at the radical cation level. According to quantum chemical calculations, the doubly oxidized forms of these complexes have triplet diradical ground states and feature two interconnected oxidized vinyl ruthenium subunits.

Synthesis, Characterization, and in Vitro Evaluation of Novel Ruthenium(II) η6-Arene Imidazole Complexes

Ten complexes of general formula [Ru(eta6-arene)Cl2(L)], [Ru(eta6-arene)Cl(L)2][X], and [Ru(eta6-arene)(L)3][X]2 (eta6-arene = benzene, p-cymene; L = imidazole, benzimidazole, N-methylimidazole, N-butylimidazole, N-vinylimidazole, N-benzoylimidazole; X = Cl, BF4, BPh4) have been prepared and characterized by spectroscopy. The structures of five representative compounds have been established in the solid state by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. All the new compounds were assessed by the same in vitro screening assays applied to [imidazole-H][trans-RuCl4(DMSO)(imidazole)] (NAMI-A) and [Ru(eta6-arene)Cl2(1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane)] (RAPTA) compounds. It was found that the new compounds show essentially the same order of cytotoxicity as the RAPTA compounds toward cancer cells. Several of the compounds were selective toward cancer cells in that they were less (or not) cytotoxic toward nontumorigenic cells that are used to model healthy human cells. Thus, two of the compounds, [Ru(eta6-p-cymene)Cl(vinylimid)2][Cl] (vinylimid = N-vinylimidazole) and [Ru(eta6-benzene)(mimid)3][BF4]2 (mimid = N-methylimidazole), have been selected for a more detailed in vivo evaluation.