Organoruthenium chemistry is the chemistry of organometallic compounds containing a carbon to ruthenium chemical bond. The interest is mostly academic although several organoruthenium catalysts are of commercial interest. The chemistry has some stoichiometric similarities with organoiron chemistry, as iron is directly above ruthenium in group 8 of the periodic table. The most important reagents for the introduction of ruthenium are ruthenium(III) chloride and triruthenium dodecacarbonyl.
In its organometallic compounds, ruthenium is known to adopt oxidation states from -2 ([Ru(CO)4]2−) to +6 ([RuN(Me)4]−). Most common are those in the 2+ oxidation state, as illustrated below.
1st Generation Grubbs Catalyst
(cymene)ruthenium dichloride dimer
chloro(cyclopentadienyl)bis(triphenylphosphine)ruthenium
pentamethylcyclopentadienyl ruthenium dichloride dimer
As with other late transition metals, ruthenium binds more favorably with soft ligands. The most important ligands for ruthenium are:
While monodentate phosphine ligands such as triphenyphosphine and tricyclohexylphosphine are most common, bidentate phosphine ligands can also be useful in organoruthenium compounds. BINAP, in particular, is a useful asymmetric ligand for many asymmetric ruthenium catalysts.