Reactions of 2-(arylazo)aniline with ruthenium substrates: Isolation, characterizations and reactivities of delocalized diazoketiminato and orthometallated Ru(II) chelates

Reactions of 2-(arylazo)aniline, HL-NH₂ H represents the dissociable protons upon complexation and HL-NH₂ is p-RC₆H₄NNC₆H₄-NH₂; R = H for HL¹-NH₂; CH₃ for HL²-NH₂ and Cl for HL³-NH₂] with Ru(H)(CO)(PPh₃)₃Cl and Ru(CO)₃(PPh₃)₂ afforded products of compositions (HL-NH)Ru(CO)Cl(PPh₃)₂] and (L-NH)Ru(PPh₃)₂(CO)], respectively. All the complexes were characterized unequivocally. The X-ray structures of the complexes 4c and 5c have been determined. The cyclic volatammograms exhibited one reversible oxidative response in the range of 0.56–0.16 V versus SCE for (L-NH)Ru(PPh₃)₂(CO)] and a quasi reversible oxidative response within 0.56–0.70 V versus SCE for (HL-NH)Ru(CO)Cl(PPh₃)₂]. The conversion of ketones to corresponding alcohols has been studied in presence of newly synthesized ruthenium complexes.