We describe a synthetic strategy for the preparation of bis-heteroleptic polypyridyl Ru(II) complexes of the type [Ru(L1)2(L2)]2+ (L1 and L2 = diimine ligands) from well-defined Ru(II) precursors. For this purpose, a series of six neutral, anionic, and cationic cis-locked Ru(II)-DMSO complexes (2-7) of the general formula [Y] fac-[RuX(DMSO-S)3(O-O)]n (where O-O is a symmetrical chelating anion: oxalate (ox), malonate (mal), acetylacetonate (acac); X = DMSO-O or Cl-; n = -1/0/+1 depending on the nature and charge of X and O-O; when present, Y = K+ or PF6-) were efficiently prepared from the well-known cis-[RuCl2(DMSO)4] (1). When treated with diimine chelating ligands (L1 = bpy, phen, dpphen), the compounds 2-7 afforded the target [Ru(L1)2(O-O)]0/+ complex together with the undesired (and unexpected) [Ru(L1)3]2+ species. Nevertheless, we found that the formation of [Ru(L1)3]2+can be minimized by carefully adjusting the reaction conditions: in particular, high selectivity toward [Ru(L1)2(O-O)]0/+ and almost complete conversion of the precursor was obtained within minutes, also on a 100-200 mg scale, when the reactions were performed in absolute ethanol at 150 °C in a microwave reactor. Depending on the nature of L1 and concentration, with the oxalate and malonate precursors, the neutral product [Ru(L1)2(O-O)] can precipitate spontaneously from the final mixture, in pure form and acceptable-to-good yields. When spontaneous precipitation of the disubstituted product does not occur, purification from [Ru(L1)3]2+ can be rather easily accomplished by column chromatography or solvent extraction. By comparison, under the same conditions, compound 1 is much less selective, thus demonstrating that locking the geometry of the precursor through the introduction of O-O in the coordination sphere of Ru is a valid strategic approach. By virtue of its proton-sensitive nature, facile and quantitative replacement of O-O in [Ru(L1)2(O-O)]0/+ by L2, selectively affording [Ru(L1)2(L2)]2+, was accomplished in refluxing ethanol in the presence of a slight excess of trifluoroacetic acid or HPF6.
