(5), pyrazole (6), benzimidazole (7) and imidazole (8)] have been prepared by taking advantage of the destabilising trans effect of the Sbonded dmso ligands. These complexes have been characterised by microanalysis, IR, UV/Vis, 1 H and 13 C NMR spectroscopy, electrospray mass spectrometry, cyclic voltammetry and X-ray crystallography. They have been found to catalyse