Synthetic and catalytic investigations of ruthenium(III) complexes with triphenylphosphine/triphenylarsine and tridentate Schiff base

The synthesis and characterization of several hexa-coordinated ruthenium(III) complexes of the type [RuCl(PPh3)2(L)] (L = dibasic tridentate ligand derived by the condensation of salicylaldehyde/o-vanillin with o-aminophenol/o-aminothiophenol) are reported. IR, electronic, EPR spectral data and redox bahaviour of the complexes are discussed. An octahedral geometry has been tentatively proposed for all the complexes. The new complexes were found to be effective catalysts for the oxidation of benzyl alcohol and cyclohexanol to benzaldehyde and cyclohexanone respectively using N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide as a co-oxidant. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.