Oxidation of malononitrile complex of pentaammineruthenium(II)

The oxidation of Ru(NH3)5NCCH2CN2+ complex by the peroxydisulfate ion in the aqueous solution yields two products, Ru(NH3)5NHCOCH2CN2+ with λmax = 373 nm and withλmax = 863 nm. The distribution of the products and the amount of oxidant required for the maximum yield of the binuclear complex depend on the acidity of the solution. The production of the binuclear complex was favored at lower acid concentrations. The formation of Cdouble bond; length as m-dashC bond in the binuclear complex was characterized by both the spectral and the electrochemical results. A mechanism for the oxidation has been proposed by the kinetic studies in the region of 0.001–0.10 M acid concentrations.