Ruthenium-hexaammine complex

The preparation of the hexaammine complexes of ruthenium(II) and ruthenium (III) salts are sketchily described in the literature. The preparation of hexaammineruthenium(II) by the reduction of ruthenium trichloride with zinc in ammonia is described briefly by Lever and Powell.1 Allen and Senoff2 carry out the reduction using hydrazine hydrate. The hexaammineruthe-nium(III) cation is obtained by oxidation of the ruthenium(II) complex,1 and pentaamminechlororuthenium(III) dichloride is obtained by treating the former compound with hydrochloric acid.1,3 This compound may also be obtained by treating the pentaammine molecular nitrogen complex of ruthenium(II) with hydrochloric acid.2,4... 

The yellow pentaammine complex of ruthenium(III) chloride crystallizes as octahedral crystals. It is a stable compound and exists in hydrochloric acid solution over a wide range of acid concentrations. The pale yellow hexaammine complex of ruthenium(III) is soluble in water and an excellent starting material for further ruthenium(III) compounds.5... 

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