Pentaamine(dinitrogen)ruthenium(II) chloride
Chemical compound
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pentaamine(dinitrogen)ruthenium(II) chloride is an inorganic compound with the formula [Ru(NH3)5(N2)]Cl2. It is a nearly white solid, but its solutions are yellow. The cationic complex is of historic significance as the first compound with N2 bound to a metal center.[1][2] [Ru(NH3)5(N2)]2+ adopts an octahedral structure with C4v symmetry.[3]
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| Names | |
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| IUPAC name
pentaamminedinitrogenruthenium (II) chloride | |
| Identifiers | |
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| Properties | |
| Cl2H15N7Ru | |
| Molar mass | 285.14 g·mol−1 |
| Appearance | colorless solid |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Preparation and properties
Pentaamine(dinitrogen)ruthenium(II) chloride is synthesized in an aqueous solution from pentaamminechlororuthenium(III) chloride, sodium azide, and methanesulfonic acid:[4]
- [Ru(NH3)5Cl]Cl2 + NaN3 → [Ru(NH3)5N2]Cl2 + ...
If it is to be used in situ, the cation can be made more conveniently from ruthenium(III) chloride and hydrazine hydrate:[4]
- RuCl3 + 4 N2H4 → [Ru(NH3)5N2]2+ + ...
This N2 complex is stable in aqueous solution and has a relatively low ligand exchange rate with water. Being a d6 complex, the Ru-N bond is stabilized by the pi backbonding, the donation of metal d-electrons into the N2 π* orbitals.[5] The related metal ammine complex [Os(NH3)5(N2)]2+ is also known.
Reactions
The dinitrogen ligand is not reduced by aqueous sodium borohydride.[6] Nearly all known reactions of this compound are displacement reactions. Pentaamine(halogen)ruthenium(II) halides can be synthesized by treating [Ru(NH3)5N2]2+ with halide sources:[4]
- [Ru(NH3)5N2]2+ + X− → [Ru(NH3)5X]+ + N2
[Ru(NH3)5N2]2+ forms the symmetrically bridging symmetrical dinitrogen complex [(NH3)5Ru-NN-Ru(NH3)5]4+.[7][8]