SO AND NO AS COMPETING LIGANDS IN THE NEW SO COMPLEX RUCL(NO)(SO)(PPH3)2

The reaction of RuCl(NO)(PPh3)2 (1) and thiirane-S-oxide, C2H4SO, gives the sulfur monoxide complex RuCl(NO)(SO)(PPh3)2 (2) which contains a terminal linear M-N-O arrangement (2c3e system) and a terminal bent M-S-O ligand function (2c2e system). The oxidation of 2 with m-chloroperbenzoic acid yields the sulfur dioxide complex RuCl(NO)(eta2-SO2)(PPh3)2 (3) and the sulfato complex RuCl(NO)(SO4)(PPh3)2 (4); a small amount of RuCl(NO)(eta2-O2)(PPh3)2 (5) is also formed. The characterization of the complexes results from their IR, P-31{H-1}, C-13{H-1} NMR and mass spectra. The crystal structure of 2 has been determined; space group P1BAR, Z = 2, a 1360.1(3), b 1532.1(5), c 999.0(2) pm, alpha 94.09(2), beta 105.70(3), gamma 65.25(2)-degrees, R/R(w) = 0.091/0.101.