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Updated: Mar 17, 2026

The Synthesis, Characterization and Reactivity of a Series of Ruthenium N-triphosPh Complexes
Published on: April 10, 2015
Characterization of the Initial Intermediate Formed during Photoinduced Oxygenation of the Ruthenium(II)
Xiaozhen Han1, Kevin K Klausmeyer1, Patrick J Farmer1
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Baylor University , Waco, Texas 76798, United States.
Abstract:
A ruthenium(II) flavonolate complex, [Ru(II)(bpy)2fla][BF4], was synthesized to model the reactivity of the flavonol dioxygenases. The treatment of dry CH3CN solutions of [Ru(II)(bpy)2fla][BF4] with dioxygen under light leads to the oxidative O-heterocyclic ring opening of the coordinated substrate flavonolate, resulting in the formation of [Ru(II)(bpy)2(carboxylate)][BF4] (carboxylate = O-benzoylsalicylate or benzoate) species, as determined by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Moderation of the excitation and temperature allowed isolation and characterization of an intermediate, [Ru(II)(bpy)2bpg][BF4] (bpg = 2-benzoyloxyphenylglyoxylate), generated by the 1,2-addition of dioxygen to the central flavonolate ring.
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