| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1312261 | Inorganica Chimica Acta | 2013 | 5 Pages |
•Both cis and trans isomer of [RuCl2(azpy)(CO)2] have been synthesized from [RuCl2(CO)3]2.•Both isomers release CO upon exposure to UV light.•The trans isomer releases CO faster.
Reaction of [RuCl2(CO)3]2 with 2-phenylazopyridine (azpy) in methanolic solution affords cis-[RuCl2(azpy)(CO)2] (1) and trans-[RuCl2(azpy)(CO)2] (2) depending on the temperature of the reaction mixture. In both complexes, the two CO ligands are cis to each other. Competition in π backbonding labilizes CO trans to the azo-N (N3) in 2 and increases the rate of CO photorelease of 2 (the trans isomer) compared to 1 (the cis isomer).
Graphical abstractThe rate of CO photorelease of trans-[RuCl2(azpy)(CO)2] is considerably higher than that of cis-[RuCl2(azpy)(CO)2] due to the trans-labilizing effect of the azo group in the ligand frame of 2-phenylazopyridine (azpy).Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide
![Differences in the CO photolability of cis- and trans-[RuCl2(azpy)(CO)2] complexes: Effect of metal-to-ligand back-bonding](/preview/png/1312261.png "First Page Preview: Differences in the CO photolability of cis- and trans-[RuCl2(azpy)(CO)2] complexes: Effect of metal-to-ligand back-bonding")