Electronic structure alternatives in nitrosylruthenium complexes.

Coordination compounds [Ru(NO)L(n)] containing an electro-active metal and potentially non-innocent ligands NO (and L) can have ground state electronic structures formulated as Ru(III)(NO(+)) = {RuNO}(5), Ru(II)(NO(+)) = {RuNO}(6), Ru(II)(NO ) = {RuNO}(7) or Ru(II)(NO(-)) = {RuNO}(8). The neighbouring states of the {RuNO}(6) systems can be accessed by spectroelectrochemical methods or through chemical reactions. The co-ligands L(n) affect the electronic structures of the quite variable {RuNO}(6) examples, in contrast to the more invariant {RuNO}(7) species. Potential electro-active co-ligands L such as porphyrins or quinones provide additional alternatives for the electronic structures.