Ruthenium(II) hydrazone Schiff base complexes: Synthesis, spectral study and catalytic applications

Ruthenium(II) hydrazone Schiff base complexes of the type [RuCl(CO)(B)(L)] (were B = PPh3, AsPh3 or Py; L=hydrazone Schiff base ligands) were synthesized from the reactions of hydrazone Schiff base ligand (obtained from isonicotinoylhydrazide and different hydroxy aldehydes) with [RuHCl(CO)(EPh3)(2)(B)] (where E = P or As; B = PPh3, AsPh3 or Py) in 1:1 molar ratio. All the new complexes have been characterized by analytical and spectral (FT-IR. electronic, H-1, C-13 and P-31 NMR) data. They have been tentatively assigned an octahedral structure. The synthesized complexes have exhibited catalytic activity for oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde and cyclohexanol to cyclohexanone in the presence of N-methyl morpholine N-oxide (NMO) as co-oxidant. They were also found to catalyze the transfer hydrogenation of aliphatic and aromatic ketones to alcohols in KOH/Isopropanol. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.