Ruthenium review

Organometallic Compounds. Ruthenium, predominately in the oxidation states 0 and +2, forms numerous mononuclear and polynuclear organometaUic compounds. A few examples of compounds in both higher and lower oxidation states also exist. The chemistry of polynuclear mthenium complexes is extensive and has been reviewed (53—59). 

An exceUent comprehensive review of mthenium chemistry is E. A. Seddon and K. R. Seddon, The Chemistry of Ruthenium, Elsevier Science Publishing Co., Inc., New York, 1984. 

We will focus on the development of ruthenium-based metathesis precatalysts with enhanced activity and applications to the metathesis of alkenes with nonstandard electronic properties. In the class of molybdenum complexes [7a,g,h] recent research was mainly directed to the development of homochi-ral precatalysts for enantioselective olefin metathesis. This aspect has recently been covered by Schrock and Hoveyda in a short review and will not be discussed here [8h]. In addition, several important special topics have recently been addressed by excellent reviews, e.g., the synthesis of medium-sized rings by RCM [8a], applications of olefin metathesis to carbohydrate chemistry [8b], cross metathesis [8c,d],enyne metathesis [8e,f], ring-rearrangement metathesis [8g], enantioselective metathesis [8h], and applications of metathesis in polymer chemistry (ADMET,ROMP) [8i,j]. Application of olefin metathesis to the total synthesis of complex natural products is covered in the contribution by Mulzer et al. in this volume. 

Several approaches toward immobilization of phosphine-free ruthenium-based metathesis catalysts bearing a coordinating ether group have been made over the past 3 years [61]. This aspect has been covered in a recently published review by Blechert and Connon [8d] and will therefore not be discussed here. 

Over the last decade a number of high oxidation state ruthenium porphyrin complexes containing 0x0 or imido ligands have been reported and have been thoroughly studied for their role in oxidation and atom-transfer chemistry. Although comparisons can be drawn with organometallic species (carbene, imido. and 0x0 ligands are formally isolobal) the chemistry of the 0x0 and imido complexes is beyond the scope of the review and will not be covered here. 

Lee JW, Popov BN (2007) Ruthenium-based electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction—a review. J Solid State Electrochem 11 1355-1364... 

For a thorough review of Ru-NHC-catalysts for metathesis, see Samojlowicz C, Bieniek M, Grela K (2009) Chem Rev 109 3708-3742 for ruthenium indenylidene-complexes in cross metathesis, see Boeda F, Bantreil X, Clavier H, Nolan SP (2008) Adv Synth Catal 350 2959-2966 For Hll-types systems, see Schrodi Y, Pederson RL (2007) Aldrichimica Acta 40 45-52... 

Important by-products are urea derivatives (ArNHC(0)NHAr) and azo compounds (Ar-N=N-Ar). The reaction is highly exothermic (—128kcalmol-1) and it is surprising that still such low rates are obtained (several hundred turnovers per hour) and high temperatures are required (130 °C and 60 bar of CO) to obtain acceptable conversions.533 Up to 2002, no commercial application of the new catalysts has been announced. Therefore, it seems important to study the mechanism of this reaction in detail aiming at a catalyst that is sufficiently stable, selective, and active. Three catalysts have received a great deal of attention those based on rhodium, ruthenium, and palladium. Many excellent reviews,534"537 have appeared and for the discussion of the mechanism and the older literature the reader is referred to those. Here we concentrate on the coordination compounds identified in relation to the catalytic studies.534-539... 

The potential of ECL in analytical chemistry has only more recently been investigated, but has rapidly gained recognition as both a sensitive and selective method of detection. Most reported applications have utilized the tris(2,2 -bipyri-dyl) ruthenium(II) [Ru(bpy)32+] ECL reaction, or else the electrochemical initiation of more conventional CL reactions, but many other potentially useful systems have been investigated. The applications of ECL in analytical chemistry have recently been the subject of comprehensive reviews [12-16],... 

The ruthenium-, rhodium-, and palladium-catalyzed C-C bond formations involving C-H activation have been reviewed from the reaction types and mechanistic point of view.135-138 The activation of aromatic carbonyl compounds by transition metal catalyst undergoes ortho-alkylation through the carbometallation of unsaturated partner. This method offers an elegant way to activate C-H bond as a nucleophilic partner. The rhodium catalyst 112 has been used for the alkylation of benzophenone by vinyltrimethylsilane, affording the monoalkylated product 110 in 88% yield (Scheme 34). The formation of the dialkylated product is also observed in some cases. The ruthenium catalyst 113 has shown efficiency for such alkylation reactions, and n-methylacetophenone is transformed to the ortho-disubstituted acetophenone 111 in 97% yield without over-alkylation at the methyl substituent. 

The chemistry of ruthenium has been reviewed in COMC (1982) and COMC (1995)338 339 as well as in Comprehensive Coordination Chemistry II. More recent reviews summarize the synthesis, properties, and applications of diruthenium tetracarboxylates341 as well as ruthenium catalysis in organic synthesis in general.342 Most recent developments and applications of ruthenium complexes in organic synthesis have been reviewed up to 2004.343... 

While palladium, ruthenium, and rhodium are the most common metal catalysts used to facilitate Alder-ene cyclization, a few successful examples of catalysis using different metals have been published. Both of the references reviewed in this section demonstrate chemistry that is novel and complimentary to the patterns of reactivity exhibited by late transition metals in the Alder-ene cyclization. 

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