Ru2(CO)4(OOCR)2L2 sawhorse-type complexes containing axial 5-(4-pyridyl)-10,15,20-triphenylporphyrin ligands

The thermal reaction of Ru3(CO)12 with various carboxylic acids (benzoic, 4-hydroxyphenylacetic, ferrocenic, stearic, oleic, 4-(octadecyloxy)benzoic) in refluxing tetrahydrofuran, followed by addition of 5-(4-pyridyl)-10,15,20-triphenylporphyrin (L), gives the dinuclear complexes Ru2(CO)4(OOCR)2L2 (1: R = –C6H5, 2: R = –CH2-p-C6H4OH, 3: R = –C5H4FeC5H5, 4: R = –(CH2)16CH3, 5: R = –(CH2)7CHCH(CH2)7CH3, 6: R = –p-C6H4O(CH2)17CH3). Complexes 1–6 were characterised by IR, NMR, and ESI-MS as well as by elemental analysis. The UV–Vis spectra show the Soret band centred at 417 nm and the Q bands at 515, 550, 590 and 645 nm, respectively.