Fluxional rearrangement in congested ruthenium(II) complexes containing pyrimidine- and/or pyridine-based dithioether ligands

The solvento species obtained by the treatment of cis-RuCl₂(N,N-L)₂ L = di-2-pyridyl sulfide (dps), di-2-pyrimidyl sulfide (dprs)] with AgPF₆, reacted with dithioethers L′ L′ = 2,6-bis(2-pyridylthiomethyl)pyridine (pytmp), 2,6-bis(2-pyrimidylthiomethyl)pyridine (prtmp) and 2,6-bis{2-(4-methyl)pyrimidylthiomethyl} pyridine (mprtmp)] to afford the compounds Ru(N,N-L)₂(N,S-L′)]PF₆]₂. The ¹H NMR spectra indicate that L′ is chelated through S and N atoms with the formation of a four-membered ring. As a consequence, the ruthenium and sulfur atoms are stereogenic centers with ∆ and Λ and (R) and (S) configurations, respectively. NMR spectra, at low temperatures, show that two invertomers, of similar abundance, as enantiomeric couples ∆S, ΛR and ∆R, ΛS are present. In the methylene region, four AB systems are observed that in both the species contain two non-equivalent methylene groups. Variable-temperature NMR spectra and EXSY experiments show that the sulfur inversion produces an exchange between the invertomers. The one-dimensional band-shape analysis of the exchanging methylene signals showed that the energy barriers for the process are in the 43–52 kJ mol⁻¹ range. The possible mechanisms of the sulfur inversion are discussed.