Ruthenium(II) complexes of pyridine-carboxamide ligands bearing appended benzothiazole/benzimidazole rings: Structural diversity and catalysis

Abstract

A series of ruthenium(II) complexes (1–6) of pyridine-carboxamide ligands, HLBT/BI (HLBT = N-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)picolinamide and HLBI = N-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)picolinamide), have been synthesized. All Ru(II) complexes have been characterized by using various spectroscopic techniques (FTIR, UV–Visible, 1H, 13C, 31P NMR and ESI-MS), conductivity and elemental analyses. The solid-state structures of all Ru(II) complexes, except 2, were substantiated by the single crystal X-ray diffraction technique that revealed versatile coordination modes of two bidentate ligands varying between NN and NO modes. All Ru(II) complexes exhibited a distorted octahedral geometry with a bidentate ligand while other coordination sites are occupied by either anionic Cl− or neutral co-ligands (CO, PPh3, CH3CN or (CH3)2SO). These well-defined ruthenium(II) complexes have been utilized as the homogeneous catalysts for the alkylation of amines using alcohols ensuing hydrogen borrowing strategy. Out of six complexes, 1 and 2 were found highly effective catalysts towards the N-alkylation of different amines with assorted alcohols. The alkylated products were obtained in excellent yields with good tolerance to a large variety of functional groups. To evaluate the role of putative Ru-hydride species as the intermediate during the catalytic cycle, the respective Ru-H complexes (7 and 8) were synthesized by the reaction of complexes 1 and 2 with NaBH4. Both Ru-H complexes were characterized using different spectroscopic techniques and crystallography. Importantly, both Ru-H complexes, 7 and 8, were directly able to alkylate imine using alcohol thus confirming the involvement of Ru-hydride species as the intermediates during the proposed catalytic cycle.