A unique diruthenium(II, III) unit surrounded by tridentate ligands of N-(2-pyridyl)-2-oxy-5-chlorobenzylaminate

A new metal–metal bonded diruthenium(II, III) compound with a dianionic tridentate ligand, N-(2-pyridyl)-2-oxy-5-chlorobenzylaminate (5-Clsalpy2−), was synthesized and structurally characterized as Li2(THF)4Cl[Ru2(5-Clsalpy)3] (1). The 5-Clsalpy2− ligand that acts as a bridging/chelating co-ligand afforded a unique coordination mode of [M–M bridging/equatorial-chelating] in addition to the “common” mode of [M–M bridging/axial-chelating] around the diruthenium unit of 1.