Ruthenium sulfoxide complexes

No sulfoxide complexes of osmium have been reported. Unsymmetri-cal dialkyl sulfoxides have been utilized in extraction studies, and methyl-4,8-dimethylnonyl sulfoxide has found application in the extraction of iron (266). Extraction of ruthenium from hydrochloric acid solutions by sulfoxides has been studied (470) and comparisons of sul-fones, sulfoxides, and thioethers as extractants for nitrosoruthenium species reported (441, 443). Similar studies on the extraction of nitro-soosmium species have been reported (442). 

This chapter reports principally on studies with ruthenium chiral phosphine and chiral sulfoxide complexes and their use for catalytic hydrogenation. We have used the familiar diop ligand, [2R,3R-(—)-2,3-Oisopropylidene-2,3-dihydroxy-l,4-bis(diphenylphosphino) butane] (7) a related chiral chelating sulfoxide ligand dios, the bis(methyl sulfinyl)butane analog (21) (S,R S,S)-(+)-2-meth-ylbutyl methyl sulfoxide(MBMSO), chiral in the alkyl group and R-(+)-methyl para-tolyl sulfoxide(MPTSO), chiral at sulfur. Preliminary data on some corresponding Rh(I) complexes are presented also. 

Ruthenium(II) complexes dimethyl sulfoxide, 490 hydrogen sulfide, 516... 

Several ruthenium complexes bearing chiral Schiff s base ligands have been published. RuL(PPh3)(H20)2], complex C (Fig. 11), with PhIO produced (S)-styrene oxide in 80% ee [61]. Chiral Schiff s base complex D was examined using molecular oxygen with aldehyde, with or without 2,6-dichloropyridine N-oxide as an axial ligand. Styrene oxide was produced in up to 24% ee[62]. A chiral bis(oxazolinyl)pyridine ruthenium complex E with iodosylbenzene diacetate PhI(OAc)2 produced (lS,2S)-fra s-stilbene oxide in 74% ee [63]. Similarly, chiral ruthenium bis(bipyridine) sulfoxide complex F [64] was effective in combination with PhI(OAc)2 as an oxidant and resulted in in 33% ee for (R,R) trans-stilbene oxide and 94% ee for (R,R) trans-/i-Me-styrene (after 75 h at 25 °C). 

Smith MK, Gibson JA, Young CG, Broomhead JA, Junk PC, Keene FR. Photoinduced ligand isomerization in dimethyl sulfoxide complexes of ruthenium(II). Eur J Inorg Chem 2000 1365-70. 

A Cr(VI) sulfoxide complex has been postulated after interaction of [CrOjtClj] with MejSO (385), but the complex was uncharacterized as it was excessively unstable. It was observed that hydrolysis of the product led to the formation of dimethyl sulfone. The action of hydrogen peroxide on mesityl ferrocencyl sulfide in basic media yields both mesityl ferrocenyl sulfoxide (21%) and the corresponding sulfone (62%) via a reaction similar to the Smiles rearrangement (165). Catalytic air oxidation of sulfoxides by rhodium and iridium complexes has been observed. Rhodium(III) and iridium(III) chlorides are catalyst percursors for this reaction, but ruthenium(III), osmium(III), and palladium(II) chlorides are not (273). The metal complex and sulfoxide are dissolved in hot propan-2-ol/water (9 1) and the solution purged with air to achieve oxidation. The metal is recovered as a noncrystalline, but still catalytically active, material after reaction (272). The most active precursor was [IrHClj(S-Me2SO)3], and it was observed that alkyl sulfoxides oxidize more readily than aryl sulfoxides, while thioethers are not oxidized as complex formation occurs. 

The preparation of ruthenium bis(diimine)sulfoxide complexes by reaction of cis-[Ru(bipyridine)2(Cl)2] (165) with enantiomerically pure chiral sulfoxides 166 was described by Ait-Haddou [94] as a new concept in the preparation of optically active octahedral ruthenium complexes (Scheme 5.47). The reaction produces two dia-stereomeric complexes 167 and 168 and the microwave-irradiated reactions resulted in excellent yields and high reaction rates with a notable increase in the observed diastereomeric excess. 

Henbest and Trocha-Grimshaw have shown that sulfoxides may be oxidized to sulfones in the presence of iridium and rhodium complexes [139, 140]. Oxidations were studied by passing air through a solution of the sulfoxide in hot wopropanol containing 10% water in the presence of the catalyst. Sulfones were formed when chlorides of iridium or rhodium were used while chlorides of ruthenium, osmium and palladium were not effective. Under reaction conditions the chlorides should be converted wholly or partly to metal sulfoxide complexes. 

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