Ag + assisted aquation of blue cis-trans-cis-RuCl 2 (RaaiR¢) 2 (4-6) leads to the synthesis of solvento species, blueviolet cis-trans-cis-[Ru(OH 2 ) 2 (RaaiR¢) 2 ](ClO 4 ) 2 [Raai R¢=p-RAC 6 H 4 AN@NAC 3 H 2 ANNA1AR¢, (1-3), abbreviated as N, N¢-chelator, where N(imidazole) and N(azo) represent N and N¢, respectively; R = H (a), OMe (b), NO 2 (c) and R¢ = Me (1/4/7/10), CH 2 CH 3 (2/5/8/11), CH 2 Ph (3/6/9/12)] that have been reacted with NO 2 ) in warm EtOH resulting in violet dinitro complexes of the type, Ru(NO 2 ) 2 (RaaiR¢) 2 (7-9). The nitrite complexes are useful synthons of electrophilic nitrosyls, and on triturating the compounds, (7b-9b) with conc. HClO 4 nitronitrosyl derivatives, [Ru(NO 2 )(NO)(OMeaaiR¢) 2 ](ClO 4 ) 2 (10b-12b) are isolated. The solution structure and stereoretentive transformation in each step have been established from 1 H n.m.r. results. All the complexes exhibit strong MLCT transitions in the visible region. They are redox active and display one metal-centred oxidation and successive ligand-based reductions. The redox potentials of Ru(III)/Ru(II) (E 1/2 M ) of (10b-12b) are anodically shifted by $0.2 V as compared to those of dinitro precursors, (7b-9b). The m(NO) >1900 cm )1 strongly suggests the presence of linear RuANO bonding. The electrophilic behaviour of metal bound nitrosyl has been proved in one case (12b) by reacting with a bicyclic ketone, camphor, containing an active methylene group and an arylhydrazone with an active methine group, and the heteroleptic tris chelates thus formed have been characterised.