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Updated: Jun 29, 2026
The Synthesis, Characterization and Reactivity of a Series of Ruthenium N-triphosPh Complexes
Published on: April 10, 2015
Spectroscopic, electrochemical, and computational aspects of the charge distribution in
Daria Kalinina1, Christopher Dares, Harini Kaluarachchi
1Department of Chemistry, CB124, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M3J 1P3.
Abstract:
The syntheses and properties are reported for five Ru(acac)2(R-bqdi) species where acac is acetylacetonate, and R-bqdi is the non-innocent ligand ortho-benzoquinonediimine substituted with R = H (1), 4,5-dimethyl (2), 4-Cl (3), or 4-NO2 (4), and N,N''-dimethylsulfonyl (5). Their identities and purities were confirmed by NMR, mass spectra, IR and analytical data. The large degree of metal-to-ligand pi-back-donation was analyzed by spectroscopic (UV/visible, IR, Raman) and electrochemical data, supported by molecular orbital composition computations using density functional theory (DFT), with the polarizable continuum model (PCM) to mimic the presence of solvent, and prediction of electronic spectra using time-dependent DFT methods. Extended charge decomposition analysis (ECDA) and natural population analysis (NPA) both produced a detailed picture of the bonding between the non-innocent bqdi ligand and the metal center, allowing correlations to be drawn between the nature of the R substituents and the quantitative extent of pi-back-donation and sigma-forward donation. In conclusion, the issue of whether these species are best regarded as Ru(II)(quinonediimine) or coupled Ru(III)(semiquinonediiminate) species is discussed.
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