Ruthenium(II) half-sandwich complexes containing thioamides: Synthesis, structures and catalytic transfer hydrogenation of ketones

A new family of cationic half-sandwich complexes of the type [(η6-cymene)Ru(PPh3)(L)]+ (L = bidentate monoanionic thioamide) have been synthesized and isolated as their tetraphenylborate salts. All the synthesized ruthenium(II) arene complexes are air stable and are fully characterized by elemental analysis, spectral and X-ray diffraction methods. In chloroform solution all the complexes exhibit characteristic metal to ligand charge transfer (MLCT) absorptions and ligand based transitions. Molecular structure of the complexes 2, 3 and 4 has been determined by single crystal X-ray crystallography indicates that the thioamide ligands are coordinated to ruthenium as a bidentate O, S donor and a typical piano stool geometry was observed around ruthenium(II) metal center. Complexes 1–5 were tested as catalysts in the transfer hydrogenation of aliphatic and aromatic ketones to secondary alcohols in the presence of 2-propanol/KOH. Further, the influence of base, reaction temperature and catalyst loading in this reaction was also evaluated to find out the most active catalyst.