Synthetic routes to ruthenium (ii) species containing carboxylate-functionalized 2,2'-bipyridine ligands

Two methods are reported for the incorporation of carboxylate substituents on polypyridyl ligands coordinated to ruthenium(ll) centres. In the first, a precursor complex is synthesized with ethoxycarbonyl groups which are subsequently base-hydrolysed to produce the carboxylate in high yield (-CO2Et→ -CO2H). In the second method, ruthenyl species were used to chemically catalyse the electochemical oxidation of methyl substituents on the ligands of a precursor complex to produce the target carboxylate species (-CH3 → -CO2H). Copyright (1998) CSIRO Australia