New complexes of the family Ru(TTP)(NO)X, where TTP = tetra-p-tolylporphyrinato dianion, and X = OMe,
Cl, OH, SH, S-p-tolyl, O2CH, ONO, ONO2, N3, or NCS, have been prepared by a variety of high-yield metathesis
techniques from Ru(TTP)(CO)(MeOH). New complexes have been characterized by IR, NMR, and UV
spectroscopies as well as by cyclic voltammetry, elemental analysis, and, in two cases, by X-ray crystallography.
The two complexes which have been characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, the hydroxide and nitrite
complexes 6 and 10 both crystallize in the monoclinic space group P21/n and have Z = 6, with two independent
metalloporphyrins in the unit cell, one (ordered) lying on a general position and the other (disordered) with the
ruthenium on an inversion center. Acid labilization of the methoxide results in facile substitution kinetics at
room temperature and with the exception of the sulfhydryl complex, L = SH, the resulting complexes are air
stable and thermally robust species. For example, the formate derivative cannot be decarboxylated thermally or
photolytically to give a hydrido complex, and the azido complex does not eliminate dinitrogen under similar
conditions to give a nitrido complex.