(Mesitylene)ruthenium π-complexes with benzo-15-crown-5 and dibenzo-18-crown-6

The reactions of benzo-15-crown-5 and dibenzo-18-crown-6 with 1 equiv. of [(mes)Ru(MeNO₂)₃]²⁺ (mes = 1,3,5-C₆H₃Me₃) give the mononuclear complexes [(mes)Ru(η⁶-benzo-15-crown-5)]²⁺ (1) and [(mes)Ru(η⁶-dibenzo-18-crown-6)]²⁺ (2) in 50% yield. Similar reaction with 2 equiv. of [(mes)Ru(MeNO₂)₃]²⁺ produces the dinuclear complex [(μ-η⁶:η⁶-dibenzo-18-crown-6)Ru₂(mes)₂]⁴⁺ (3) in 96% yield as a 2:3 mixture of cis- and trans-isomers. Structures of 2(OTf)₂ and trans-3(OTf)₄ were confirmed by X-ray diffraction. The NMR titration showed that mononuclear dications 1 and 2 bind Na⁺ ion less effective (K_a = 600 and 250 M^-1) than free benzo-15-crown-5 and dibenzo-18-crown-6 (K_a = 2 × 10⁵ and 5 × 10⁶ M^-1). The dinuclear tetracation 3 does not bind Na⁺ within measurable limits of NMR titration method. The electrochemical behaviour of complexes 1-3 was studied in propylene carbonate solution. They exhibit a partially chemically reversible Ru(II)/Ru(I) reduction, which in the case of the dinuclear complex 3 proceeds through two slightly separated steps. The redox activity of the complexes is substantially unaffected by the presence of sodium ion. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.