Arene ruthenium bis-saccharinato complexes: Synthesis, molecular structure and catalytic oxidation properties in aqueous solution

Arene ruthenium complexes [(η⁶-arene)Ru(sacc)₂(OH₂)] (arene = <i>para</i>-cymeme, benzene) containing an aqua and two saccharinato ligands have been synthesized from [(η⁶-arene)RuCl₂]₂ and sodium saccharinate in a water-ethanol mixture (1:1). The aqua complex [(η⁶-MeC₆H₄Pr^<i>i</i>)Ru(sacc)₂(OH₂)] reacts with acetonitrile to give the acetonitrile complex [(η⁶-MeC₆H₄Pr^<i>i</i>)Ru(sacc)₂(NCMe)]. The corresponding benzene derivative [(η⁶-C₆H₆)Ru(sacc)₂(NCMe)] was obtained from [(η⁶-C₆H₆)RuCl₂]₂ and saccNa in an acetonitrile-methanol mixture (1:1). All new complexes show a piano-stool geometry with two mono-hapto nitrogen-bonded saccharinato ligands in addition to a H₂O or MeCN ligand. All complexes of the type [(η⁶-arene)Ru(sacc)₂(OH₂)] and [(η⁶-arene)Ru(sacc)₂(NCMe)] were found to catalyze the oxidation of secondary alcohols with <i>tert</i>-butyl hydroperoxide (Bu^<i>t</i>OOH) to give the corresponding ketones in aqueous solution.