The electrochemistry and the kinetics of the formation of ruthenium(II) nitrogen complexes

Abstract

Electrolysis at a mercury cathode controlled at −0.50 V (vs. standard calomel electrode s.c.e.) in a H2SO4–K2SO4 electrolyte with pH of 2.6 and saturated with Ar gas has been used to prepare RuII–(NH3)5X. The reaction of this species with N2 in the aqueous base electrolyte at 26 °C has been studied and found to follow the equations:[Formula: see text]In base electrolyte saturated with N2 at 1 atm (CN2 ≈ 6 × 10−4 M) the value of the apparent first order constant, k′m is 4.4 × 10−5 s−1 and the value of kd is 4.2 × 10−2 1 mole−1 s−1.The electrochemistry of the various ruthenium species was also investigated in the H2SO4–K2SO4 electrolyte. At the dropping mercury electrode, RuIII (NH3)5Cl gave a well-defined one electron reduction wave with E1/2 = −0.27 V; RuII (NH3)5X gave a well-defined one electron oxidation wave with E1/2 = −0.25 V. The nitrogen complexes gave oxidation waves at a rotating platinum microelectrode, the monomer with E1/2 = +0.72 V and the dimer with E1/2 = +0.78 V.