Syntheses, molecular structures and properties of (Ph4P)2[trans-O2RuCl4]•CH2Cl2 and [(Ph3P)2N]2[trans-O2RuCl4]•CH2Cl2

The two trans-RuVI complexes, (Ph4P)2[trans-O2RuCl4]center dot CH2Cl2 (1) and [(Ph3P)2N]2[trans-O2RuCl4]center dot CH2Cl2 (2), were obtained in high yields by direct oxidation of RuCl3 center dot 3H2O with NaIO4, followed by treatment with KOH and cation exchange reactions. The crystal structures of the two complexes were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Complexes 1 and 2 both crystallize in the triclinic space groups P 1, with a = 9.9766(16), b = 11.0566(18), c = 12.566(2) angstrom, alpha = 69.354(2), beta = 77.228(2), gamma = 82.328(2)degrees, Z = 1 for complex 1 and a = 10.897(3), b = 12.402(4), c = 14.449(5) angstrom, alpha = 110.395(4), beta = 91.853(4), gamma = 98.500(4)degrees, Z = 1 for complex 2. The two complexes were characterized by FT-IR, 1H NMR, 31P{H} NMR, and UV/Visible spectroscopies, and their electrochemical properties were also investigated.