Organoruthenium chemistry Information & Organoruthenium chemistry Links at HealthHaven.com

Organoruthenium chemistry in chemistry is the study of organometallic compounds containing a carbon to ruthenium chemical bond ^[1]. The interest is mostly academic although several organoruthenium catalysts are of commercial interest. The chemistry has many similarities with organoiron chemistry with iron one element up in group 8 of the periodic table. The most important reagents for the introduction of ruthenium are ruthenium(III) chloride and triruthenium dodecacarbonyl. The related compound Ru(CO)₅ is less attractive for this purpose because it decomposes:

Ru₃(CO)₁₂ + 3 CO $\overrightarrow{\leftarrow}$ 3 Ru(CO)₅

Compared to organopalladium chemistry, ruthenium has fewer applications partially due to the higher coordination number and the wider variety in oxidation state (-2 to +6).

[edit] Ligands

The most important ligands for ruthenium are:

carbon monoxide as in metal carbonyls
phosphines. BINAP is an asymmetric ligand for many ruthenium compounds in asymmetric synthesis ^[2] ^[3] ^[4] ^[5].
cyclopentadienyl ligands. The parent compound ruthenocene is unreactive compared to mononuclear complexes such as chloro(cyclopentadienyl)bis(triphenylphosphine)ruthenium.
various arenes and dienes for example cumene in (cymene)ruthenium dichloride dimer ^[6] or acenaphthylene ^[7]. The compound Ru(COD)(COT) is capable of dimerizing norbornadiene:

metal carbenes, notably Grubbs' catalyst, an import catalyst in olefin metathesis.
halides. chlorine ligands are easily replaced by alkyl, aryl or hydride ligands
hydrogen. Transition metal hydrides are important in C-H bond activation.

**Chemical bonds to carbon**
Core organic chemistry	Many uses in chemistry.
Academic research, but no widespread use	Bond unknown / not assessed.

^ Synthesis of Organometallic Compounds: A Practical Guide Sanshiro Komiya Ed. S. Komiya, M. Hurano 1997
^ Example: Organic Syntheses, Coll. Vol. 10, p.276 (2004); Vol. 77, p.1 (2000). Link
^ Example: Organic Syntheses, Organic Syntheses, Coll. Vol. 9, p.589 (1998); Vol. 71, p.1 (1993). Link
^ Example: Organic Syntheses, Organic Syntheses, Coll. Vol. 9, p.169 (1998); Vol. 72, p.74 (1995). Link
^ Example: Organic Syntheses, Vol. 81, p.178 (2005). Link
^ Another cumene Ru catalysis: Organic Syntheses, Organic Syntheses, Vol. 82, p.10 (2005).Link
^ Example: Organic Syntheses, Organic Syntheses, Vol. 82, p.188 (2005). Link