Dichlorotris(triphenylphosphine)ruthenium(II)
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Dichlorotris(triphenylphosphine)ruthenium(II) is a
coordination complex A coordination complex consists of a central atom or ion, which is usually metallic and is called the ''coordination centre'', and a surrounding array of bound molecules or ions, that are in turn known as ''ligands'' or complexing agents. Many ...
of
ruthenium Ruthenium is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ru and atomic number 44. It is a rare transition metal belonging to the platinum group of the periodic table. Like the other metals of the platinum group, ruthenium is inert to ...
. It is a chocolate brown solid that is soluble in organic solvents such as
benzene Benzene is an organic chemical compound with the molecular formula C6H6. The benzene molecule is composed of six carbon atoms joined in a planar ring with one hydrogen atom attached to each. Because it contains only carbon and hydrogen atoms, ...
. The compound is used as a precursor to other complexes including those used in
homogeneous catalysis In chemistry, homogeneous catalysis is catalysis by a soluble catalyst in a solution. Homogeneous catalysis refers to reactions where the catalyst is in the same phase as the reactants, principally in solution. In contrast, heterogeneous catalysis ...
.


Synthesis and basic properties

RuCl2(PPh3)3 is the product of the reaction of
ruthenium trichloride Ruthenium(III) chloride is the chemical compound with the formula RuCl3. "Ruthenium(III) chloride" more commonly refers to the hydrate RuCl3·''x''H2O. Both the anhydrous and hydrated species are dark brown or black solids. The hydrate, with a va ...
trihydrate with a
methanol Methanol (also called methyl alcohol and wood spirit, amongst other names) is an organic chemical and the simplest aliphatic alcohol, with the formula C H3 O H (a methyl group linked to a hydroxyl group, often abbreviated as MeOH). It is a ...
ic solution of
triphenylphosphine Triphenylphosphine (IUPAC name: triphenylphosphane) is a common organophosphorus compound with the formula P(C6H5)3 and often abbreviated to P Ph3 or Ph3P. It is widely used in the synthesis of organic and organometallic compounds. PPh3 exists a ...
. :2 RuCl3(H2O)3 + 7 PPh3 → 2 RuCl2(PPh3)3 + 2 HCl + 5 H2O + OPPh3 The coordination sphere of RuCl2(PPh3)3 can be viewed as either five-coordinate or octahedral. One coordination site is occupied by one of the hydrogen atoms of a phenyl group. This Ru---H
agostic interaction In organometallic chemistry, agostic interaction refers to the interaction of a coordinatively-unsaturated transition metal with a C−H bond, when the two electrons involved in the C−H bond enter the empty d-orbital of the transition metal, r ...
is long (2.59 Å) and weak. The low symmetry of the compound is reflected by the differing lengths of the Ru-P bonds: 2.374, 2.412, and 2.230 Å. The Ru-Cl bond lengths are both 2.387 Å.


Reactions

In the presence of excess of triphenylphosphine, RuCl2(PPh3)3 binds a fourth phosphine to give black RuCl2(PPh3)4. The triphenylphosphine ligands in both the tris(phosphine) and tetrakis(phosphine) complexes are readily substituted by other ligands. The tetrakis(phosphine) complex is a precursor to the
Grubbs catalyst Grubbs catalysts are a series of transition metal carbene complexes used as catalysts for olefin metathesis. They are named after Robert H. Grubbs, the chemist who supervised their synthesis. Several generations of the catalyst have been develo ...
s. Dichlorotris(triphenylphosphine)ruthenium(II) reacts with hydrogen in the presence of base to give the purple-colored monohydride HRuCl(PPh3)3. :RuCl2(PPh3)3 + H2 + NEt3 → HRuCl(PPh3)3 + NEt3l Dichlorotris(triphenylphosphine)ruthenium(II) reacts with
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 ...
to produce the all trans isomer of dichloro(dicarbonyl)bis(triphenylphosphine)ruthenium(II). :RuCl2(PPh3)3 + 2 CO → ''trans,trans,trans''-RuCl2(CO)2(PPh3)2 + PPh3 This kinetic product isomerizes to the cis adduct during recrystallization. ''trans''-RuCl2(dppe)2 forms upon treating RuCl2(PPh3)3 with
dppe 1,2-Bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane (dppe) is an organophosphorus compound with the formula (PhPCH) (Ph = phenyl). It is a commonly used bidentate ligand in coordination chemistry. It is a white solid that is soluble in organic solvents. Preparation ...
. :RuCl2(PPh3)3 + 2 dppe → RuCl2(dppe)2 + 3 PPh3 RuCl2(PPh3)3 catalyzes the decomposition of
formic acid Formic acid (), systematically named methanoic acid, is the simplest carboxylic acid, and has the chemical formula HCOOH and structure . It is an important intermediate in chemical synthesis and occurs naturally, most notably in some ants. Es ...
into
carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide (chemical formula ) is a chemical compound made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in the gas state at room temperature. In the air, carbon dioxide is transpar ...
and
hydrogen Hydrogen is the chemical element with the symbol H and atomic number 1. Hydrogen is the lightest element. At standard conditions hydrogen is a gas of diatomic molecules having the formula . It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, an ...
gas in the presence of an
amine In chemistry, amines (, ) are compounds and functional groups that contain a basic nitrogen atom with a lone pair. Amines are formally derivatives of ammonia (), wherein one or more hydrogen atoms have been replaced by a substituen ...
. Since
carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide (chemical formula ) is a chemical compound made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in the gas state at room temperature. In the air, carbon dioxide is transpar ...
can be trapped and hydrogenated on an industrial scale,
formic acid Formic acid (), systematically named methanoic acid, is the simplest carboxylic acid, and has the chemical formula HCOOH and structure . It is an important intermediate in chemical synthesis and occurs naturally, most notably in some ants. Es ...
represents a potential storage and transportation medium.


Use in organic synthesis

RuCl2(PPh3)3 facilitates oxidations, reductions, cross-couplings, cyclizations, and isomerization. It is used in the
Kharasch addition The Kharasch addition is an organic reaction and a metal-catalysed free radical addition of CXCl3 compounds (X = Cl, Br, H) to alkenes. The reaction is used to append trichloromethyl or dichloromethyl groups to terminal alkenes. The method has ...
of chlorocarbons to alkenes.Plummer, J. S.; Shun-Ichi, M.; Changjia, Z. "Dichlorotris(triphenylphosphine)ruthenium(II)", ''e-EROS Encyclopedia of Reagents for Organic Synthesis'', 2010, John Wiley. : Dichlorotris(triphenylphosphine)ruthenium(II) serves as a precatalyst for the
hydrogenation Hydrogenation is a chemical reaction between molecular hydrogen (H2) and another compound or element, usually in the presence of a Catalysis, catalyst such as nickel, palladium or platinum. The process is commonly employed to redox, reduce or S ...
of
alkenes In organic chemistry, an alkene is a hydrocarbon containing a carbon–carbon double bond. Alkene is often used as synonym of olefin, that is, any hydrocarbon containing one or more double bonds.H. Stephen Stoker (2015): General, Organic, an ...
,
nitro compounds In organic chemistry, nitro compounds are organic compounds that contain one or more nitro functional groups (). The nitro group is one of the most common explosophores (functional group that makes a compound explosive) used globally. The nitr ...
,
ketones In organic chemistry, a ketone is a functional group with the structure R–C(=O)–R', where R and R' can be a variety of carbon-containing substituents. Ketones contain a carbonyl group –C(=O)– (which contains a carbon-oxygen double bon ...
,
carboxylic acids In organic chemistry, a carboxylic acid is an organic acid that contains a carboxyl group () attached to an R-group. The general formula of a carboxylic acid is or , with R referring to the alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, or other group. Carboxylic ...
, and
imines In organic chemistry, an imine ( or ) is a functional group or organic compound containing a carbon–nitrogen double bond (). The nitrogen atom can be attached to a hydrogen or an organic group (R). The carbon atom has two additional single bo ...
. On the other hand, it catalyzes the oxidation of alkanes to tertiary alcohols, amides to t-butyldioxyamides, and tertiary amines to α-(t-butyldioxyamides) using tert-butyl hydroperoxide. Using other peroxides, oxygen, and acetone, the catalyst can oxidize alcohols to aldehydes or ketones. Using dichlorotris(triphenylphosphine)ruthenium(II) the N-alkylation of amines with alcohols is also possible (see "
borrowing hydrogen Hydrogen auto-transfer, also known as borrowing hydrogen, is the activation of a chemical reaction by temporary transfer of two hydrogen atoms from the reactant to a catalyst and return of those hydrogen atoms back to a reaction intermediate to fo ...
"). : RuCl2(PPh3)3 efficiently catalyzes carbon-carbon bond formation from cross couplings of alcohols through C-H activation of sp3 carbon atoms in the presence of a
Lewis acid A Lewis acid (named for the American physical chemist Gilbert N. Lewis) is a chemical species that contains an empty orbital which is capable of accepting an electron pair from a Lewis base to form a Lewis adduct. A Lewis base, then, is any sp ...
.Shu-Yu, Z.; Yong-Qiang, T.; Chun-An, F.; Yi-Jun, J.; Lei, S.; Ke, C.; En, Z.; "Cross-Coupling Reactions between alcohols through sp3 C-H Activation Catalyzed by a Ruthenium/Lewis Acid System" ''Chem. Eur. J.'', 2008, ''14'', 10201-10205. :


References

{{Ruthenium compounds Ruthenium complexes Triphenylphosphine complexes Chloro complexes Ruthenium(II) compounds Reagents for organic chemistry