Oxidation of hydroquinones by a (salen)ruthenium(vi) nitrido complex

In the presence of pyridine, [RuVI(N)(L)(MeOH)]+ (L = N,N′-bis(salicylidene)-o-cyclohexyldiamine dianion) readily oxidizes hydroquinone to p-benzoquinone under ambient conditions. Experimental and computational studies suggest a mechanism that involves an initial electrophilic attack at the aromatic ring of hydroquinone by the nitrido ligand.