[Ru(VI)(TMP)(NSO2R)2] (SO2R = Ms, Ts, Bs, Cs, Ns; R = p-C6H4OMe, p-C6H4Me, C6H5, p-C6H4Cl, p-C6H4NO2, respectively) and [Ru(VI)(Por)(NTs)2] (Por = 2,6-Cl2TPP, F20-TPP) were prepared by the reactions of [Ru(II)(Por)(CO)] with PhI=NSO2R in CH2Cl2. These complexes exhibit reversible Ru(VI/V) couple with E(1/2) = -0.41 to -0.12 V vs Cp2Fe(+/0) and undergo imido transfer reactions with styrenes, norbornene, cis-cyclooctene, indene, ethylbenzenes, cumene, 9,10-dihydroanthracene, xanthene, cyclohexene, toluene, and tetrahydrofuran to afford aziridines or amides in up to 85% yields. The second-order rate constants (k2) of the aziridination/amidation reactions at 298 K were determined to be (2.6 +/- 0.1) x 10(-5) to 14.4 +/- 0.6 dm3 mol(-1) s(-1), which generally increase with increasing Ru(VI/V) reduction potential of the imido complexes and decreasing C-H bond dissociation energy (BDE) of the hydrocarbons. A linear correlation was observed between log k' (k' is the k2 value divided by the number of reactive hydrogens) and BDE and between log k2 and E(1/2)(Ru(VI/V)); the linearity in the former case supports a H-atom abstraction mechanism. The amidation by [Ru(VI)(TMP)(NNs)2] reverses the thermodynamic reactivity order cumene > ethylbenzene/toluene, with k'(tertiary C-H)/k'(secondary C-H) = 0.2 and k'(tertiary C-H)/k'(primary C-H) = 0.8.

The X-ray crystal structure of [Ru(VI) (NMs)2 (tmp)] (Ms=SO2 - p-MeOC6 H4 ; tmp=5,10,15,20-tetramesitylporphyrinato(2-)), a metal sulfonylimide complex that can undergo alkene aziridination and C-H bond amination reactions, shows a Ru=N distance of 1.79(3) Å and Ru-N-S angle of 162.5(3)°. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations on the electronic structures of [Ru(VI) (NMs)2 (tmp)] and model complex [Ru(VI) (NMs)2 (por(0) )] (por(0) =unsubstituted porphyrinato(2-)) using the M06L functional gave results in agreement with experimental observations. For the amination of ethylbenzene by the singlet ground state of [Ru(VI) (NMs)2 (por(0))], DFT calculations using the M06L functional revealed an effectively concerted pathway involving rate-limiting hydrogen atom abstraction without a distinct radical rebound step. The substituent effect on the amination reactivity of ethylbenzene by [Ru(VI) (NX)2 (por(0) )] (X=SO2 -p-YC6 H4 with Y=MeO, Me, H, Cl, NO2 ) was examined. Electron-withdrawing Y groups lower the energy of the LUMOs of [Ru(VI) (NX)2 (por(0))], thus facilitating their interaction with the low-lying HOMO of the ethylbenzene C-H bond and hence increasing the reactivity of [Ru(VI) (NX)2 (por(0) )]. DFT calculations on the amination/aziridination reactions of [Ru(VI) (NSO2 C6 H5 )2 (por(0) )] with pent-4-enal, an aldehyde substrate bearing acyl, homoallylic, and allylic C-H bonds and a C=C bond, revealed a lower reaction barrier for the amination of the acyl C-H bond than for both the amination of the other C-H bonds and aziridination of the C=C bond in this substrate.

beta-Halogenated dioxoruthenium(VI) porphyrin complexes [Ru(VI)(F(28)-tpp)O(2)] [F(28)-tpp=2,3,7,8,12,13, 17,18-octafluoro-5,10,15,20-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrinato(2-)] and [Ru(VI)(beta-Br(8)-tmp)O(2)] [beta-Br(8)-tmp=2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octabromo-5,10,15,20- tetrakis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)porphyrinato(2-)] were prepared from reactions of [Ru(II)(por)(CO)] [por=porphyrinato(2-)] with m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid in CH(2)Cl(2). Reactions of [Ru(VI)(por)O(2)] with excess PPh(3) in CH(2)Cl(2) gave [Ru(II)(F(20)-tpp)(PPh(3))(2)] [F(20)-tpp=5,10,15,20-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrinato(2-)] and [Ru(II)(F(28)-tpp)(PPh(3))(2)]. The structures of [Ru(II)(por)(CO)(H(2)O)] and [Ru(II)(por)(PPh(3))(2)] (por=F(20)-tpp, F(28)-tpp) were determined by X-ray crystallography, revealing the effect of beta-fluorination of the porphyrin ligand on the coordination of axial ligands to ruthenium atom. The X-ray crystal structure of [Ru(VI)(F(20)-tpp)O(2)] shows a Ru=O bond length of 1.718(3) A. Electrochemical reduction of [Ru(VI)(por)O(2)] (Ru(VI) to Ru(V)) is irreversible or quasi-reversible, with the E(p,c)(Ru(VI/V)) spanning -0.31 to -1.15 V versus Cp(2)Fe(+/0). Kinetic studies were performed for the reactions of various [Ru(VI)(por)O(2)], including [Ru(VI)(F(28)-tpp)O(2)] and [Ru(VI)(beta-Br(8)-tmp)O(2)], with para-substituted styrenes p-X-C(6)H(4)CH=CH(2) (X=H, F, Cl, Me, MeO), cis- and trans-beta-methylstyrene, cyclohexene, norbornene, ethylbenzene, cumene, 9,10-dihydroanthracene, xanthene, and fluorene. The second-order rate constants (k(2)) obtained for the hydrocarbon oxidations by [Ru(VI)(F(28)-tpp)O(2)] are up to 28-fold larger than by [Ru(VI)(F(20)-tpp)O(2)]. Dual-parameter Hammett correlation implies that the styrene oxidation by [Ru(VI)(F(28)-tpp)O(2)] should involve rate-limiting generation of a benzylic radical intermediate, and the spin delocalization effect is more important than the polar effect. The k(2) values for the oxidation of styrene and ethylbenzene by [Ru(VI)(por)O(2)] increase with E(p,c)(Ru(VI/V)), and there is a linear correlation between log k(2) and E(p,c)(Ru(VI/V)). The small slope (approximately 2 V(-1)) of the log k(2) versus E(p,c)(Ru(VI/V)) plot suggests that the extent of charge transfer is small in the rate-determining step of the hydrocarbon oxidations. The rate constants correlate well with the C-H bond dissociation energies, in favor of a hydrogen-atom abstraction mechanism.