Complexes of ruthenium(II) and ruthenium(III) with tertiary arsines

Abstract

Abstract--Ruthenium trichloride reacts with stoichiometric amounts of tertiary arsines in boiling ethanol to give paramagnetic complexes, RuCI3(Ph2RAs)~ (R = Me, Et, Pr, Bu), which react further with 2,2'-hipyridyl(bipy) and o-phenanthroline(phen) to yield brick red crystalline products, RuCI3 (N-N)(Ph2RAs) (N-N = bipy, phen). In the presence of excess arsine Ru(III) is reduced to Ru(II), and trichloro-bridged complexes of the formula [RuzCI3(Ph2RAs)6]CI are formed. These on treatment with carbonylated solutions of rhodium chloride produce yellow crystals of [Ru2Ch(Ph2RAs)6][RhCI2(CO)2] containing Ru(II) and Rh(l). Several dicarbonyl complexes cis-RuXz(CO)2(PhzRAs)2 (X = CI, Br; R = Pr. Bu) have also been isolated.