On the synthesis and characterization of two ruthenium water-soluble complexes: Preliminary results on the hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde in a biphasic system. Surface activity of the ligands TPPMS and TPPTS

The synthesis, characterization and preliminary hydrogenation studies, on the reduction of an aldehyde to alcohol, of two water-soluble ruthenium complexes are being reported. The complexes [HRuCl(CO)P*(3)] were prepared by ligand exchange in a biphasic medium. P* corresponds to the water soluble phosphines: TPPMS (I), the sodium salt of m-monosulfonated triphenyl phosphine, [Ph(2)P(C6H4SO3Na) . 2H(2)O], and TPPTS (II), the trisodium salt of m-trisulfonated triphenyl phosphine, [P(C6H4SO3Na)(3) . nH(2)O]. Spectroscopy investigations have shown that in solution complexes I and II have the same structures as their organosoluble analog [HRuCl(CO)(PPh(3))(3)]. Critical micellar concentration (CMC) studies and surface tension measurements showed that the water-soluble ligand TPPTS is a poor surface active agent as compared with the TPPMS ligand. Preliminary results on the hydrogenation of ti ails-cinnamaldehyde (CNA) with complexes I and II were carried out. The reduction of CNA proceeds through two parallel routes in both cases. Effect of the pressure and temperature is observed in the hydrogenation of CNA with I and II.