Metal carbonyls as pharmaceuticals? [Ru(CO)3Cl(glycinate)], a CO-releasing molecule with an extensive aqueous solution chemistry.

The pharmacologically active [Ru(CO)(3)Cl(glycinate)] is shown to be in equilibrium with [Ru(CO)(2)(CO(2)H)Cl(glycinate)](-) (isomers) at around pH 3.1 which then at physiological pH reacts with more base to give [Ru(CO)(2)(CO(2))Cl(glycinate)](2-) (isomers) or [Ru(CO)(2)(CO(2)H)(OH)(glycinate)](-) (isomers). The ease with which [Ru(CO)(3)Cl(glycinate)] reacts with hydroxide results in it producing a solution in water with a pH of around 2 to 2.5 depending on concentration and making its solutions more acidic than those of acetic acid at comparable concentrations. Acidification of [Ru(CO)(3)Cl(glycinate)] with HCl gives [Ru(CO)(3)Cl(2)(NH(2)CH(2)CO(2)H)]. The crystal structures of [Ru(CO)(3)Cl(glycinate)] and [Ru(CO)(3)Cl(2)(NH(2)CH(2)CO(2)Me)] are reported.