The variation of ligands around mid to late transition metal centers has been extensively studied as a model for catalytic applications. Catalysts of this nature are essential for the synthesis of small organic molecules through reactions such as dehydrogenation reactions. Specifically, the use of ruthenium(II) metal centers and their relationship with phosphine ligands has been widely studied for their drastic alteration of both steric and electronic properties. To our knowledge, there is limited information on the synthesis of para-substituted aminopyridine complexes in order to tailor the electronic and steric profile for catalytic application. We synthesized four novel complexes of the general formula: cis-RuCl2[Ph2P(CH2)4PPh2](ampy-L) and trans-RuCl2[Ph2P(CH2)4PPh2](ampy-L) (ampy = 2-(aminomethyl)pyridine; L = Cl or OMe) in high yield. The complexes were fully characterized through NMR spectroscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and electrochemical analysis. Preliminary catalytic dehydrogenative amide experiments were conducted. Additionally, kinetic studies revealed that cis to trans isomerization occurs but the difference in the electronic density is not great enough to impact the rate of isomerization.

Synthesis and reactivity of potential Ampy-base ruthenium(II) catalysts for amide formation

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

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