Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2026
The Synthesis, Characterization and Reactivity of a Series of Ruthenium N-triphosPh Complexes
Published on: April 10, 2015
Synthesis, structures, magnetism and electrochemical properties of triruthenium-acetylide complexes
Ching-Kuo Kuo1, Jung-Che Chang, Chen-Yu Yeh
1Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Abstract:
A series of triruthenium complexes with arylacetylide axial ligands Ru(3)(dpa)(4)(C(2)X)(2)(BF(4))(y)(dpa = dipyridylamido; X = Fc, y= 0 (1); X = Ph, y= 0 (2); X = PhOCH(3), y= 1 (3); X = PhC(5)H(11), y= 1 (4); X = PhCN, y= 0 (5); X = PhNO(2), y= 0 (6)) have been synthesized. The crystal structures show that the Ru-Ru bond lengths (2.3304(9)-2.3572(5)A) of these compounds are longer than those of Ru(3)(dpa)(4)Cl(2)(Ru-Ru=2.2537(1)A). This is ascribed to the formation of the stronger pi-backbonding from metal to axial ligand which weakens the Ru-Ru interactions and the bond order is reduced in the triruthenium unit. Cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry show that compound exhibits electronic coupling between the two ferrocenyl units with DeltaE(1/2) close to 100 mV. Compounds 2-6 display three triruthenium-based reversible one-electron redox couples, two oxidations and one reduction, and the electrode potentials shift upon varying the substituents. A linear relationship is observed when the Hammett constants are plotted against the redox potentials.
Related Concept Videos
02:42Valence Bond Theory
03:02Colors and Magnetism
When atoms or molecules absorb light at the proper frequency, their electrons are excited to higher-energy orbitals. For many main group atoms and molecules, the absorbed photons are in the ultraviolet range of the electromagnetic spectrum, which cannot be detected by the human eye. For coordination compounds, the energy difference between the d orbitals often allows photons in the visible range to be absorbed and emitted, which is seen as colors by the human eye.
02:46Crystal Field Theory - Tetrahedral and Square Planar Complexes
Crystal field theory (CFT) is applicable to molecules in geometries other than octahedral. In octahedral complexes, the lobes of the dx2−y2 and dz2 orbitals point directly at the ligands. For tetrahedral complexes, the d orbitals remain in place, but with only four ligands located between the axes. None of the orbitals points directly at the tetrahedral ligands. However, the dx2−y2 and dz2 orbitals (along the Cartesian axes) overlap with the ligands less than the dxy,...
02:58Crystal Field Theory - Octahedral Complexes
To explain the observed behavior of transition metal complexes (such as colors), a model involving electrostatic interactions between the electrons from the ligands and the electrons in the unhybridized d orbitals of the central metal atom has been developed. This electrostatic model is crystal field theory (CFT). It helps to understand, interpret, and predict the colors, magnetic behavior, and some structures of coordination compounds of transition metals.
CFT focuses on...
01:18Aromatic Hydrocarbon Cations: Structural Overview
Removing one hydrogen from the intervening CH2 group with both...
02:34Structural Isomerism
Isomers are different chemical species that have the same chemical formula. Structural isomerism of coordination compounds can be divided into two subcategories, the linkage isomers and coordination-sphere isomers.
Linkage isomers occur when the coordination compound contains a ligand that can bind to the transition metal center through two different atoms. For example, the CN− ligand can bind through the carbon atom or through the nitrogen atom. Similarly, SCN− can be...