Nitric oxide species as oxidising agents and adducts for soft scorpionates

Bis-(κ3-H,S,S-dihydrobis-(methimazolyl)borato)ruthenium(II), [Ru(BmMe)2], has been prepared and tested as a nitric oxide scavenger using NO, NOBF4 and NOBr. The products isolated show that, NO and NO+ are good one electron oxidising agents towards the ruthenium complexes but NO is not coordinated to the metal. The oxidised species, [Ru(BmMe)2]BF4 has been isolated and characterised. Reaction of “Ru(NO)Cl3” with NaBmMe results in the removal of the borohydride from the ligand and formation of [Ru(mtH)3(mt)(NO)Cl]+.