A series of water-soluble Ru 2 5+ complexes of the type Ru 2 (O 2 CCH 3 ) 3 (L)Cl where L = 2,3,4,5,6-F 5 ap, 2,4,6-F 3 ap, 2-Fap, ap, 2-Meap, 2,6-Me 2 ap, or 2,4,6-Me 3 ap, where ap is the anilinopyridinate anion, have been characterized as to their structural and physicochemical properties in H 2 O and DMSO. Five of the newly synthesized complexes were structurally characterized, and the Ru−Cl bond lengths range from 2.477 to 2.544 Å while the Ru−Ru bond lengths range from 2.2838 to 2.2935 Å. The UV−vis spectra of each compound are characterized by three absorption bands in both H 2 O and DMSO, the intensity and position of which vary with both the type of bridging ligand and the solvent. The seven examined Ru 2 5+ complexes exist as 1:1 electrolytes in water, and each undergoes a reversible one-electron reduction assigned to Ru 2 5+ /Ru 2 4+ in both investigated solvents. A second irreversible reduction attributed to Ru 2 4+ /Ru 2 3+ is also observed for each compound at more negative potentials in DMSO. A linear free energy relationship exists between the sum of the Hammett substituent constants (Σσ) on the ap-type bridging ligand and the wavenumber of an absorption band for the Ru 2 5+ complexes. A linear relationship is also seen between Σσ and measured E 1/2 values for the Ru 2 5+ /Ru 2 4+ process in water containing 0.1 M KCl, but little to no effect is seen between the specific bridging ligand and the structural features of the investigated compounds.