Ruthenium aqua complexes containing N- and C-donor polypyridilic ligands as catalysts for photocatalytic alcohol oxidation in mild conditions

Abstract

It is well known that ruthenium complexes have particular chemical properties which make them singular. In this work, we report different type of complexes and its usefulness in different scientific areas. We have choosen two type of known chloro- and aquo- polypyridyl ruthenium complexes to synthesize, which have N-donor and C-donor ligands, respectively, leading to the complex distinct chemical, electrochemical and spectrometric properties. The chloro complexes are the precursors aquo complexes which we have evaluated the photooxidative activity. We have followed a described procedure to obtain our desired complexes and we have designed a new synthetic pathway with the aim to optimize and improve the known synthetic route. The products of these routes were evaluated by electrochemical and spectrometric techniques and we have compared the differences between the two type of complexes and the differences of the isomers of each complexes. The photocathalytic evaluation was employed with two types of aquocomplexes with the same conditions and the same substrates with the aim to obtain a carbonyl group from an alcohol of each substrate, and figure out a relationship between the complex structure and the photocatalytic activity