The pH-dependent reversible cyclometallation and reactions with nitrite in a near-aqueous system of a related set of cyclometallated ruthenium(ii) bipyridyl complexes were investigated in detail. These complexes are [Ru(ppy)(bpy)2]PF6 (, bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, Hppy = 2-phenylpyridine), [Ru(thpy)(bpy)2]PF6 (, Hthpy = 2-(2-thienyl)pyridine), and [Ru(dfppy)(bpy)2]PF6 (, Hdfppy = 2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)pyridine). As expected, reversible UV-Vis spectra of these three complexes in near-aqueous solutions can be achieved by treating with acid or base, which indicates a pH-dependent reversible cyclometallation. However, the addition of nitrite to acidic solutions of these complexes disturbed the reversible pH-dependent processes. Unexpected ruthenium complexes in the aforementioned system were then isolated and characterized using FT-IR, MS, (1)H NMR, and UV-Vis spectra, indicating that two reaction modes occurred at the ruthenium(ii) centers: (1) the insertion of NO into the ruthenium-aryl bond to form a ruthenium C-nitroso complex; and (2) the coordination of NO with the entire dissociation of one bipyridine to form a {Ru-NO}(6) complex, which is the first example involving the cleavage of Ru-N(∧)N bonds in ruthenium bipyridyl complexes.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.