The kinetics and thermodynamics of a novel efficient mixed water–1,4-dioxan solvent for the effective complexation of a neutral ruthenium complex with carbon monoxide at atmospheric pressure

Kinetic and thermodynamic investigations were performed for a mixed aqueous-organic, 1:1 (v/v) water–1,4-dioxane medium, which was found to be an efficient solvent for the interaction of a neutral dichlorotris(triphenylphosphine) ruthenium(II), RuCl₂(PPh₃)₃ complex with carbon monoxide at atmospheric pressure. During the interaction, RuCl₂(PPh₃)₃ dissociates to a neutral complex dichlorobis(triphenylphosphine) ruthenium(II), RuCl₂(PPh₃)₂, by losing a coordinated PPh₃ ligand and RuCl₂(PPh₃)₂ coordinates with CO to form an in situ carbonyl complex RuCl₂(CO)(PPh₃)₂. The in situ formed carbonyl complex RuCl₂(CO)(PPh₃)₂ was thoroughly characterized by equilibrium, spectrophotometric, IR, and electrochemical techniques. Under equilibrium conditions, the rate and dissociation constants for the dissociation of PPh₃ from RuCl₂(PPh₃)₃ were found to be favorable for the formation of the carbonyl complex RuCl₂(CO)(PPh₃)₂. The rates of complexation for the formation of RuCl₂(CO)(PPh₃)₂ were found to follow an overall second-order kinetics being first order in terms of the concentrations of both carbon monoxide and RuCl₂(PPh₃)₂. The determined activation parameters corresponding to the rate constant (ΔH^# = 35.9 ± 2.5 kJ mol^?1 and ΔS^# = ?122 ± 6 J K^?1 mol^?1) and thermodynamic parameters corresponding to the formation constant (ΔH° = ?33.5 ± 4.5 kJ mol^?1, ΔS° = ?25 ± 8 J K^?1 mol^?1, and ΔG° = ?25.7 ± 2.0 kJ mol^?1) were found to be highly favorable for the formation of the complex RuCl2(CO)(PPh3)2. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 40: 359–369, 2008