Coordination Chemistry of the (eta(6)-p-Cymene)ruthenium(II) Fragment with Bis-, Tris-, andTetrakis(pyrazol-1-yl)borate Ligands: Synthesis, Structural, Electrochemical, and CatalyticDiastereoselective Nitroaldol Reaction Studies

Novel [Ru(eta(6)-p-cymene)(kappa(2)-L)X] and [Ru(eta(6)-p-cymene)(kappa(3)-L)]X center dot nH(2)O complexes (L = bis-, tris-, or tetrakis-pyrazolylborate; X = Cl, N-3, PF6, or CF3SO3) are prepared by treatment of [Ru(eta(6)-p-cymene)Cl-2](2) with poly-(pyrazolyl)borate derivatives [M(L)] (L in general; in detail L = Ph(2)Bp = diphenylbis-(pyrazol-1-yl)borate; L = Tp = hydrotris(pyrazol-1-yl)borate; L = pzTp = tetrakis(pyrazol-1-yl)borate; L = Tp(4Bo) = hydrotris(indazol-1-yl)borate, L = T-p4Bo,T-5Me = (5-methylindazol-1-yl)borate; L = Tp(Bn,4Ph) = hydrotris(3-benzyl-4-phenylpyrazol-1-yl)borate; M = Na, K, or TI) and characterized by analytical and spectral data (IR, ESIMS, H-1 and C-13 NMR). The structures of [Ru(eta(6)-p-cymene)(Ph(2)Bp)Cl] (1) and [Ru(eta(6)-p-cymene)(Tp)Cl] (3) have been established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Electrochemical studies allowed comparing the electron-donor characters of Tp and related ligands and estimating the corresponding values of the Lever E-L ligand parameter. The complexes [Ru(eta(6)-p-cymene)-(kappa(2)-L)X] and [Ru(eta(6)-p-cymene)(kappa(3)-L)]X center dot nH(2)O act as catalyst precursors for the diastereoselective nitroaldol reaction of benzaldehyde and nitroethane to the corresponding beta-nitroalkanol (up to 82% yield, at room temperature) with diastereoselectivity toward the formation of the threo isomer.

Sulfonated Schiff base copper(ii) complexes as efficient and selective catalysts in alcohol oxidation: syntheses and crystal structures

The reaction between 2-aminobenzenesulfonic acid and 2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde produces the acyclic Schiff base 2-[(2-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl) methylideneamino] benzenesulfonic acid (H2L center dot 3H(2)O) (1). In situ reactions of this compound with Cu(II) salts and, eventually, in the presence of pyridine (py) or 2,2'-bipyridine (2,2'-bipy) lead to the formation of the mononuclear complexes [CuL(H2O)(2)] (2) and [CuL(2,2'-bipy)]center dot DMF center dot H2O (3) and the diphenoxo-bridged dicopper compounds [CuL(py)](2) (4) and [CuL(EtOH)](2)center dot 2H(2)O (5). In 2-5 the L-2-ligand acts as a tridentate chelating species by means of one of the O-sulfonate atoms, the O-phenoxo and the N-atoms. The remaining coordination sites are then occupied by H2O (in 2), 2,2'-bipyridine (in 3), pyridine (in 4) or EtOH (in 5). Hydrogen bond interactions resulted in R-2(2) (14) and in R-4(4)(12) graph sets leading to dimeric species (in 2 and 3, respectively), 1D chain associations (in 2 and 5) or a 2D network (1). Complexes 2-5 are applied as selective catalysts for the homogeneous peroxidative (with tert-butylhydroperoxide, TBHP) oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols, under solvent-and additive-free conditions and under low power microwave (MW) irradiation. A quantitative yield of acetophenone was obtained by oxidation of 1-phenylethanol with compound 4 [TOFs up to 7.6 x 10(3) h(-1)] after 20 min of MW irradiation, whereas the oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde is less effective (TOF 992 h(-1)). The selectivity of 4 to oxidize the alcohol relative to the ene function is demonstrated when using cinnamyl alcohol as substrate.