Chemistry of ruthenium in N<SUB>2</SUB>P<SUB>2</SUB>X<SUB>2</SUB> (X = Cl, Br) coordination sphere: synthesis, characterization and reactivitiesChemistry of ruthenium in N<SUB>2</SUB>P<SUB>2</SUB>X<SUB>2</SUB> (X = Cl, Br) coordination sphere: synthesis, characterization and reactivities

Reaction of 2-(phenylazo)pyridine (pap) with [Ru(PPh3)3X2] (X = Cl, Br) in dichloromethane solution affords [Ru(PPh3)2(pap)X2]. These diamagnetic complexes exhibit a weakdd transition and two intense MLCT transitions in the visible region. In dichloromethane solution they display a one-electron reduction of pap near -0.90 V vs SCE and a reversible ruthenium(II)-ruthenium(III) oxidation near 0.70 V vs SCE. The [RuIII(PPh3)2(pap)Cl2]+ complex cation, generated by coulometric oxidation of [Ru(PPh3)2(pap)Cl2], shows two intense LMCT transitions in the visible region. It oxidizes N,N-dimethylaniline and [RuII(bpy)2Cl2] (bpy = 2,2&#8242;-bipyridine) to produce N,N,N&#8242;,N&#8242;-tetramethylbenzidine and [RuIII(bpy)2Cl2]+ respectively. Reaction of [Ru(PPh3)2(pap)X2] with Ag+ in ethanol produces [Ru(PPh3)2(pap)(EtOH)2]2+ which upon further reaction with L (L = pap, bpy, acetylacetonate ion(acac-) and oxalate ion (ox2-)) gives complexes of type [Ru(PPh3)2(pap)(L)]n+ (n = 0, 1, 2). All these diamagnetic complexes show a weakdd transition and several intense MLCT transitions in the visible region. The ruthenium(II)-ruthenium(III) oxidation potential decreases in the order (of L): pap &gt; bpy &gt; acac- &gt; ox2-. Reductions of the coordinated pap and bpy are also observed