Properties and reactivities of polyaminopolycarboxylate (pac) complexes of ruthenium

The development and intriguing aspects of the chemistry of Ru-pac (pac = polyaminopolycarboxylate) complexes are reviewed in this article. Kinetics and mechanistic aspects of Ru-pac complexes towards substitution reactions are discussed with reference to the role of the uncoordinated pendant group of the pac ligands in the remarkable lability of Ru-pac complexes towards the aquo-substitution process. The catalytic ability of Ru-pac complexes in various organic transformations are highlighted, along with the mechanistic details. The recent development of electrocatalytic systems with Ru-pac complexes for activation of small molecules is addressed. Most current investigations on the mixed-ligand complexes of ruthenium-containing pac ligands are included in this article. applications of these mixed-ligand complexes to some biochemical processes or in developing new inorganic materials are discussed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.