New ruthenium complexes from Ru3(CO)12 and 6-Alkyl- or 6-Phenyl-2-hydroxypyridines

Trirutheniumdodecacarbonyl (Ru₃(CO)₁₂) reacts with 2-hydroxy-6-methylpyridine and with 2-hydroxy-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinoline in toluene to form centrosymmetric tetranuclear complexes of the type Ru(η², μ-L)(CO)₂(μ₃-L)Ru(CO)₂]₂, where L is the respective (N,O)-pyridonate ligand (2 and 3). The structures of these complexes, which are almost insoluble in all common solvents, could be determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Reaction of Ru₃(CO)₁₂ with 2-hydroxy-4,6-diphenylpyridine in methanol includes ortho-metallation at the phenyl ring, furnishing the dinuclear complex Ru(κ²N,C-L)(CO)₂(μ-OCH₃)₂Ru(CO)₂ (κ²N,C-L)] (4), where L = (2-(6-hydroxy-4-phenylpyridin-2-yl)phenyl), according to an X-ray crystal structure determination.