Ground-state interactions betweenRu(bpy)
32+ (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine)
orRu(bpz)
32+ (bpz = 2,2'-bipyrazine)andphenol (PhOH) or monochlorophenols (ClPhOH) have been investigated inaqueous (D
2O) solution by NMR.The upfield shifts of the resonances and the NOE differencespectra of the complexes in the presence of thephenols indicate the presence of offset face-to-face
![](/images/gifchars/pi.gif)
-stackinginteractions between the phenol and the aromaticligands. Electron withdrawal from the phenol ring by themonochloro substituent and less effective solvation byaqueous (compared to acetonitrile) media favor the interaction.The formation constant for the 1:1Ru(bpy)
32+-PhOH complex is estimated to be ~0.01 M
-1;
K is smaller for Ru(bpz)
32+than for Ru(bpy)
32+, and itincreasesfor both complexes in the order PhOH < 4-ClPhOH < 3-ClPhOH <2-ClPhOH.