Reaction mechanisms relevant to the formation of iron and ruthenium nitric oxide complexes

Presented here is a review of recent mechanistic work related to the formation of iron and ruthenium nitrosyl complexes. Given the importance of NO as a biological molecule and that the targets for NO in vivo are metal centers, knowledge of the mechanisms by which metal nitrosyls are formed is fundamental for understanding the diverse roles that NO plays in biology. The kinetics of metal nitrosyl formation from the reactions of free NO with metal complex precursors are dominated by the lability of the complexes. The free radical character of NO however, asserts itself especially if the precursors are relatively substitution inert or are coordinatively unsaturated.