Reduction of diruthenium(II,III) carboxylate compounds with hydroquinone: a facile preparation of diruthenium(II) complexes

The synthesis of the diruthenium(II) compounds [Ru2(μ-O2CR)4(MeOH)2] [R = Me (1), Ph (2), CMePh2 (3) C6H4-p-OMe (4), C6H4-p-CMe3 (5)] by reaction of [Ru2(μ-O2CR)4]+BF4- with hydroquinone, under a nitrogen atmosphere, in the presence of a base is described. The structure of the complexes [Ru2(μ-O2CMe)4(MeOH)2] (1) and [Ru2(μ-O2CPh)4(thf)2] (2b) is reported.