The complex trans-[Ru(NH 3 ) 4 NO(H 2 O)]Cl 3 ‚H 2 O has been isolated as a decomposition product of the dimeric cation [{Ru(NH 3 ) 4 NO} 2 (µ-S 2 )] 6+ . The elemental analysis and electronic, infrared, X-ray, and ESR spectroscopies fit well with the formulation trans-[Ru(NH 3 ) 4 NO(H 2 O)]Cl 3 ‚H 2 O. The ν NO (1912 cm -1 ) observed and the ∠(Ru-N-O) ) 178.1°(5) are consistent with the nitrosonium character of the NO ligand. Cyclic voltammetry showed only one redox process in the range -0.5 to +1.2 V, which was attributed to the reactionThe pK a values 3.1 ( 0.1 and 7.7 ( 0.1 (µ ) 0.10 M, NaCl) have been measured for the reaction trans-[Ru(NH 3 ) 4 L(H 2 O)] n+ + H 2 O T trans-[Ru-(NH 3 ) 4 L(OH)] (n-1)+ + H 3 O + , where L ) NO + and CO, respectively. The substitution of the coordinated water molecule in trans-[Ru(NH 3 ) 4 (H 2 O)NO] 3+ by chloride ions proceeds about 30-fold times slower than in [Ru-(NH 3 ) 5 (H 2 O)] 3+ (k Cl _ ) 8.7 × 10 -5 M -1 s -1 and 3.7 × 10 -6 M -1 s -1 , respectively; 40°C, µ ) 2.0 NaCl, [H + ]) 1.0 × 10 -2 mol L -1 ). Quantum mechanical DFT calculations show that the mixing between the lone pair of the oxygen, π in character, and the d xz orbital of the metal is linearly related to the pK a of the water ligand and to the water lability. The calculations have also shown that the π-d mixing is strongly dependent on the trans ligand L. The electronic spectra of the trans-[Ru(NH 3 ) 4 (H 2 O)L] n+ (L ) CO and NO + ) species are discussed on the basis of DFT and ZINDO/S calculations.