The dual role of cis-[RuCl2(dmso)4] in the synthesis of new water-soluble Ru(II)–phosphane complexes and in the catalysis of redox isomerization of allylic alcohols in aqueous–organic biphasic systems

New air-stable, water-soluble Ru(II)–phosphane complexes were synthesized in high purity by the reaction of cis-[RuCl2(dmso)4] with 2 equivalents of 1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane (pta) and its N-methyl and N-benzyl derivatives (pta-Me and pta-Bn, respectively). All new complexes were characterized by elementary analysis and spectroscopic methods (NMR, ESI-MS) and the molecular structures of cis-cis-trans-[RuCl2(dmso)2(pta)2], cis-cis-trans-[RuCl2(dmso)2(pta-H)2]Cl2 (obtained in acidic solutions) and that of cis-cis-trans-[RuCl2(dmso)2(pta-Me)2](CF3SO3)2 were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Under mild conditions, cis-[RuCl2(dmso)4] actively catalyzed the transformation of allylic alcohols into the corresponding ketones with 100% selectivity while in the same reaction the new Ru(II)–pta complexes showed moderate activity and selectivity.