Ruthenium complexes of thiaporphyrin and dithiaporphyrin

Successful synthesis and characterization of the six-coordinated complex Ru(STTP)(CO)Cl] (1; STTP = 5,10,15,20-tetratolyl-21-thiaporphyrinato) allowed the development of the coordination chemistry of ruthenium-thiaporphyrin through dechlorination and metathesis reactions. Accordingly, Ru(II)(STTP)(CO)X] (X = NO(3)(-) (2), NO(2)(-) (3), and N(3)(-) (4)) was synthesized and analyzed by single-crystal X-ray structural determination and NMR, UV-vis, and FT-IR spectroscopic methods. An independent reaction of STPPH and Ru(COD)Cl(2)] led to Ru(III)(STTP)Cl(2)] (5), which possessed a higher-valent Ru(III) center and exhibited good stability in the solution state. This stability allowed reversible redox processes in a cyclic voltammetric study. Reactions of Ru(S(2)TTP)Cl(2)] (S(2)TTP = 5,10,15,20-tetratolyl-21,23-dithiaporphyrinato) with AgNO(3) and NaSePh, also via the metathesis strategy, resulted in novel dithiaporphyrin complexes Ru(II)(S(2)TTP)(NO(3))(2)] (6) and Ru(0)(S(2)TTP)(PhSeCH(2)SePh)(2)] (7), respectively. The structures of 6 and 7 were corroborated by X-ray crystallographic analyses. Complex 7 is an unprecedented ruthenium(0)-dithiaporphyrin with two bis(phenylseleno)methanes as axial ligands. A comparison of the analyses of the crude products from reactions of NaSePh and CH(2)Cl(2) with or without Ru(S(2)TTP)Cl(2)], further supported by UV-vis spectral changes under stoichiometric reactions between Ru(S(2)TTP)Cl(2)] and NaSePh, suggested a reaction sequence in the order of (1) formation of a putative Ru(II)(S(2)TTP)(SePh)(2)] intermediate, followed by (2) the concerted formation of PhSe-CH(2)Cl and simultaneously a reduction of Ru(II) to Ru(0) and finally (3) nucleophilic substitution of PhSeCH(2)Cl by excess PhSe(-), resulting in PhSeCH(2)SePh, which readily coordinated to the Ru(0) and completed the formation of bis(phenylseleno)methane complex 7.