Mass spectrometric and structural studies of some platinum-group metal complexes: The crystal and molecular structure of trans-[Ru(NO)Cl 3(SbPh 3) 2

Abstract

The ruthenium triphenylstibine complexes [RuCl 2(SbPh 3) 3] and [RuCl 2(SbPh 3) 4], and the nitrosyl complexes [Ru(NO)Cl 3(EPh 3) 2] for E = Sb, As, P; [Rh(NO)Cl 2(EPh 3) 2] for E = As, P, have been investigated using electrospray mass spectrometry. The mass spectrometric evidence suggests that [RuCl 2(SbPh 3) 4] is formed and not [RuCl 2(SbPh 3) 3] as previously reported. In situ derivatisation in the presence of alkali metal ions gave simple spectra for the ruthenium nitrosyl complexes but not the rhodium complexes. The crystal and molecular structure for the ruthenium complex [Ru(NO)Cl 3(SbPh 3) 2] has been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. There is a crystallographically imposed centre of inversion and the NO and chlorides are disordered. The triphenylstibine ligands are coordinated in the trans configuration ( RuSb = 2.649(1) A ̊ ) .