Binuclear ruthenium macrocycles formed via the weak-link approach.

The "weak-link approach" for the synthesis of metallomacrocycles has been used to synthesize a series of novel Ru(II) macrocycles in high yield. RuCl2(PPh3)3 has been reacted with two different phosphino-alkyl-ether hemilabile ligands, 1,4-(PPh2(CH2)2O)2C6H4 and 1,4-(PPh2(CH2)2OCH2)2C6H4. The hemilabile bidentate ligand coordinates to Ru(II) centers through both the P and O atoms to form bimetallic "condensed intermediates". The weak Ru-O bonds have been selectively cleaved with CO, 1,2-diaminopropane, and pyridine to yield large open macrocycles. This is the first example of the weak-link approach employed to synthesize macrocycles with Ru, and metal centers in general that have more than four coordination sites.