Ruthenium pentacarbonyl is the
organoruthenium compound Organoruthenium chemistry is the chemistry of organometallic compounds containing a carbon to ruthenium chemical bond. Several organoruthenium catalysts are of commercial interest and organoruthenium compounds have been considered for cancer therap ...
with the formula Ru(CO)
5. It is a colorless, light-sensitive liquid that readily
decarbonylates upon standing at room temperature. It is of academic interest as an intermediate for the synthesis of
metal carbonyl complex
Metal carbonyls are coordination complexes of transition metals with carbon monoxide ligands. Metal carbonyls are useful in organic synthesis and as catalysts or catalyst precursors in homogeneous catalysis, such as hydroformylation and Reppe c ...
es.
[
]
Preparation
Ru(CO)5 was originally prepared by carbonylation
Carbonylation refers to reactions that introduce carbon monoxide into organic and inorganic substrates. Carbon monoxide is abundantly available and conveniently reactive, so it is widely used as a reactant in industrial chemistry. The term carbony ...
of ruthenium salts in the presence of a reducing agent.[W. Manchot, Wilhelm J. Manchot "Darstellung von Rutheniumcarbonylen und -nitrosylen" Zeitschrift für Anorganische und Allgemeine Chemie 1936, volume 226, pp. 385-415. ] A more recent preparation involves photolysis of triruthenium dodecacarbonyl
Triruthenium dodecacarbonyl is the chemical compound with the formula Ru3(CO)12. Classified as metal carbonyl cluster, it is a dark orange-colored solid that is soluble in nonpolar organic solvents. The compound serves as a precursor to other o ...
in the presence of carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide (chemical formula CO) is a colorless, poisonous, odorless, tasteless, flammable gas that is slightly less dense than air. Carbon monoxide consists of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom connected by a triple bond. It is the simple ...
:[Adams, R. D.; Barnard, T. S.; Cortopassi, J. E.; Wu, W.; Li, Z. "Platinum-ruthenium carbonyl cluster complexes" Inorganic Syntheses 1998, volume 32, pp. 280-284. ]
:Ru3(CO)12 + 3 CO 3 Ru(CO)5
It is characterized by two intense νCO bands in the IR spectrum at 2038 and 2003 cm−1 (hexane solution).[
]
Comparisons of M(CO)5 (M = Fe, Ru, Os)
Whereas Fe(CO)5 is completely robust at room temperature, samples of Ru(CO)5 are typically reddish owing to contamination by Ru3(CO)12. The conversion is rapid in solution. Os(CO)5 requires heating to 80 °C to effect conversion to triosmium dodecacarbonyl
Triosmium dodecacarbonyl is a chemical compound with the formula Os3(CO)12. This yellow-colored metal carbonyl cluster is an important precursor to organo-osmium compounds. Many of the advances in cluster chemistry have arisen from studies on d ...
.
References
{{Ruthenium compounds
Organoruthenium compounds
Carbonyl complexes