title: Crystallization-induced asymmetric transformation of chiral-at-metal ruthenium(II) complexes bearing achiral ligands.
abstract: Recently, we observed that the enantiopure Lambda form of the tributylammonium salt of the chiral anion tris[tetrachlorobenzene-1,2-bis(olato)]phosphate, also named Trisphat, was able to induce an efficient resolution of a Delta,Lambda racemic mixture of cis-[Ru(dmp)2(NCCH3)2](PF6)2 (dmp=2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline) due to the spontaneous and selective precipitation of the heterochiral pair [Delta-Ru(dmp)2(CH3CN)2][Lambda-Trisphat]2. We report here that the combination of such a stereoselective precipitation process and irradiation results in the quantitative conversion of the initial [Ru(dmp)2(NCCH3)2]2+ racemate into only one of the two enantiomers. This is the first example in inorganic chemistry of an asymmetric transformation that leads to a chiral complex with no chiral ligand. Finally, three new racemic ruthenium bis(diimine) complexes, namely [Ru(dmp)2(NCCH3)Py](PF6)2 (Py=pyridine), [Ru(dmp)2(1,3-diaminopropane)](PF6)2, and [Ru(dmp)2(ethylenediamine)](PF6)2 were synthesized. For all of them, crystallization-induced asymmetric transformation proved to be an efficient way of obtaining the corresponding optically active chiral-at-metal complexes in high yields and with excellent stereoselectivities.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Chimie et Biochimie des Centres Rédox Biologiques, DRDC-CB, UMR 5047 Université Joseph Fourier/CEA/CNRS, CEA Grenoble, 17 avenue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble, France. ohamelin@cea.fr
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hamelin
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pécaut
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fontecave