The reaction of
cis-[M(bpy)
2Cl
2] (M = Ru(II), and Os(II)) with 2,4,6-tris(2-pyridyl)-1,3,5-triazine (tptz) in refluxingethanol-water resulted in the formation of dinuclear complexes of the composition [{M(bpy)
2}
2(tptz-OH)](PF
6)
3·
nH
2O (
n = 1 for Ru and
n = 0 for Os). In this reaction an unusual metal-induced hydroxylation at the carbonatom of the triazine ring of bridged tptz occurred. However, hydroxylation did not occur in the correspondingmononuclear complexes under similar reaction condition. A comparative study revealed that sufficientelectrophilicity on the carbon atom and free movement of the attached pyridyl ring promoted the hydroxylationreaction. The hydroxylated dinuclear complexes exist in two stereoisomeric forms, a
rac form (
/
) and a
meso form (
/
). Both diastereoisomers have been isolated in pure form and characterized. The molecularstructures of the
rac form of Ru(II) complex (
3-II) and
meso form of the Os(II) complex (
4-I) have been establishedby single-crystal X-ray studies. Crystal data: complex
3-II, monoclinic,
C2/
c,
a = 24.584(7) Å,
b = 14.309(4)Å,
c = 41.044(13) Å,
= 92.84(2)
,
V = 14420.0(7) Å
3,
Z = 8,
R = 0.179, wR2 = 0.479; complex
4-I, triclinic,
P,
a = 13.444(7) Å,
b = 14.576(5) Å,
c = 19.641(7) Å,
= 98.21(3)
,
= 101.67(4)
,
= 105.80(4)
,
V =3546.0(3) Å
3,
Z = 2,
R = 0.093, wR2 = 0.279. The poor data quality of
3-II did not allow anisotropic refinementof non-hydrogen atoms except Ru and P. A PLUTO drawing of this compound is given only to support themolecular structure.
1H NMR data have been used to characterize the diastereoisomers. The dinuclear complexesexhibit unusual electrochemical behavior; cathodic shifts of the metal-centered oxidations and ligand-based firstreduction compared to mononuclear complexes have been observed. There is a splitting in the metal-centeredoxidation potentials, indicating strong electronic communication between the metal centers. Comproportionationconstants (
Kcom) of the mixed-valence species have been calculated; the values are in the range 6.03 × 10
4-4.7× 10
6. It appears that a metal-metal interaction occurred by an electron-transfer mode across the low-lying
*orbital of the bridged tptz.