The kinetics of formation of ruthenium(II) nitrogen complexes

Abstract

The formation of nitrogen monomers by the reaction of Ru(NH3)5(H2O)2+ and cis-Ru(NH3)4(H2O)22+ with N2 has been shown to be first order in N2 and second order overall. The formation of bridging N2 dimers by the reaction of the ruthenium(II) pentaammine and tetraammine with the monomers has been shown to be second order overall.The reactions were studied in a H2SO4–K2SO4 electrolyte pH 3.3, μ = 0.30. The ruthenium(II) species were prepared by controlled potential reduction of known ruthenium(III) species at −0.50 V at a Hg cathode. The reactions of the reduced species with N2 or the monomers were followed spectrophotometrically.The second order rate constant at 25 °C and the activation energy for the substrate Ru(NH3)5(H2O)2+ with the respective nucleophiles are: N2, 8.0 × 10−2 M−1 s−1, 22.0 ± 0.1 kcal/mole; Ru(NH3)5N22+, 3.6 × 10−2 M−1 s−1, 19.9 ± 0.5 kcal/mole; Ru(NH3)4(H2O)N22+, 2.7 × 10−2 M−1 s−1, 20.4 ± 0.8 kcal/mole. For the substrate cis-Ru(NH3)4(H2O)22+ the values are: N2, 1.0 × 10−1 M−1 s−1, 20.4 ± 0.2 kcal/mole; Ru(NH3)5N22+, 6.8 × 10−2 M−1 s−1, 18.2 ± 0.1 kcal/mole; Ru(NH3)4(H2O)N22+, 7.2 × 10−2 M −1 s−1, 17.1 ± 0.2 kcal/mole.