“…[7] Although this solid can be isolated as a trihydrate, it is frequently used directly for reactions with excess ligands L (L ϭ tertiary phosphanes and arsanes, thioethers, or selenyl ethers) [8Ϫ10] to give the diamagnetic complexes [RuCl 3 (NO)L 2 ] [Equation (1)]. [12] When anhydrous [RuCl 3 (NO)] is prepared in this manner, and then treated with excess 3,5-dimethylpyrazole in toluene at reflux [Equation (3)], the major product is mer-[RuCl 3 (NO)(dmpH) 2 ] (1), which is isolated in 87% yield after chromatography on silica. With amines and nitrogen bases this strategy has considerably less general utility; for example, although pyridine, acetonitrile, 2,2Јbipyridine, and 1,10phenanthroline add to [RuCl 3 (NO)] to give six-coordinate products, the reaction with ammonia, 3,5-dimethylpyrazole or {[tris (3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)borate] Ϫ ϭ DMTPZ} under the conditions in Equation 1 leads to mixtures of products and low general yields of the desired product.…”