title: Half-sandwich RuII-[9]aneS3 complexes with dicarboxylate ligands: synthesis, characterization and chemical behavior.
abstract: With the aim of further developing the structure-activity relationship in biologically active half-sandwich Ru(ii)-[9]aneS(3) complexes ([9]aneS(3)=1,4,7-trithiacyclononane), a series of new mono- and dinuclear complexes bearing the chelating dicarboxylate ligands oxalate (ox), malonate (mal) and methylmalonate (mmal), have been synthesized and studied. Treatment of the precursor [Ru([9]aneS(3))(dmso)(3)][CF(3)SO(3)](2) (7) with equivalent amounts of K(2)(dicarb) afforded the corresponding neutral complexes with the general formula [Ru([9]aneS(3))(dmso-S)(eta(2)-dicarb)] (where dicarb=ox (1), mal (2) and mmal (3)), while using half an equivalent of K(2)(ox), the symmetric dimer [{Ru([9]aneS(3))(dmso-S)}(2)(mu-eta(4)-ox)][CF(3)SO(3)](2) (4) was isolated. The reaction of with the oxalato complex fac-[Ru(dmso-S)(3)(dmso-O)(eta(2)-ox)] (9) yielded two asymmetric dimers, namely [{Ru([9]aneS(3))(dmso-S)}(mu-eta(4)-ox){fac-Ru(dmso-S)(3)(CF(3)SO(3))}][CF(3)SO(3)] (5) and [{Ru([9]aneS(3))(dmso-S)}(mu-eta(4)-ox){fac-Ru(dmso-S)(3)(dmso-O)}][CF(3)SO(3)](2) (6), depending on the reaction conditions. All new complexes were structurally characterized, both in solution (by NMR spectroscopy) and in the solid state (by X-ray crystallography). The chemical behavior of the complexes in aqueous solution was studied by UV-Vis and NMR spectroscopy in view of their potential antitumor activity: the monomers partially release a dmso ligand to yield the monofunctional aqua adduct [Ru([9]aneS(3))(eta(2)-dicarb)(H(2)O)], while the dimers rapidly open up the oxalato bridge to give two mononuclear fragments. Splitting of the asymmetric dimers 5 and 6 occurs selectively and the ox moiety remains bonded to the fac-Ru(dmso-S)(3) fragment. A detailed comparison of the structural and chemical features of 1-6 with those of similar dicarboxylate complexes possessing the fac-Ru(dmso-S)(3) fragment in place of Ru([9]aneS(3)) allows us to draw a number of general conclusions on the binding preferences of dicarb ligands on the octahedral Ru(II) center.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università di Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri 1, 34127 Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bratsos
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Birarda
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jedner
authors.forename: Ennio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zangrando
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alessio
mesh_terms: D002264:Carboxylic Acids / Q000737:chemistry*; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D006868:Hydrolysis; D007700:Kinetics; D008024:Ligands; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D011336:Probability; D012428:Ruthenium / Q000737:chemistry*; D013053:Spectrophotometry / Q000379:methods; D013237:Stereoisomerism