Synthesis of CuII-RuII-CuII trinuclear complexes via redox reaction of copperI across thiosemicarbazones coordinated to rutheniumII.

Pyridine-2-carbaldehyde thiosemicarbazones [C5H4N1-C(H)N2-N3H-C(S)-N4HR, R = H, L1H2; CH3, L2H2-Me; CH2CH3, L3H2-Et] with Ru(PPh3)3Cl2 have formed mononuclear RuII precursors for the generation of trinuclear complexes. The reaction of 2 mol each of L1H2, L2H2-Me, or L3H2-Et with Ru(PPh3)3Cl2 in the presence of Et3N has yielded mononuclear complexes [Ru(N3,S-L1H)2(PPh3)2] (1), [Ru(N3,S-L2H-Me)2(PPh3)2] (2), and [Ru(N3,S-L3H)2(PPh3)2] (3). The addition of 2 equiv of copperI chloride solution to complex 1 in acetonitrile has formed a novel trinuclear complex, (Ph3P)2RuII(L1)2CuII2Cl2 (4), in which the pendant amino group (-N4H2) loses one hydrogen along with the oxidation of CuI to CuII. In this complex, RuII is bonded to two P, two S, and two N3 atoms, while each CuII is coordinated to N1, N2, N4, and Cl atoms. Reaction with copper(I) bromide yielded a similar trinuclear complex, (Ph3P)2Ru(L1)2CuII2Br2 (5). From precursors 2 and 3, analogous complexes (Ph3P)2RuII(L2-Me)2CuII2Cl2 (6), (Ph3P)2RuII(L2-Me)2CuII2Br2 (7), (Ph3P)2RuII(L3-Et)2CuII2Cl2 (8), and (Ph3P)2RuII(L3-Et)2CuII2Br2 (9) have been synthesized. These complexes have been characterized using analytical, spectroscopic, and electrochemical techniques. Single-crystal X-ray crystallography has been carried out for precursor 2 and all of the trinuclear complexes, 4-9. X-band electron spin resonance and UV-vis spectra have confirmed the presence of CuII. The cyclic voltammetry studies support the RuII/RuIII redox behavior of this metal in trinuclear complexes.