Ligand-centered oxidations and electron delocalization in a tetranuclear complex of a tetradonor-substituted olefin

The tetrakis(4-styryl)ethene (TSTE4-)-bridged tet-raruthenium complex [[((PPr3)-Pr-i)(2)(CO)Cl center dot Ru}(4){mu(4)-(CH=CHC6-H-4)(4)(C=C)}] undergoes four consecutive oxidations at low potential. The ligand-dominated nature of these processes is confirmed by spectroscopic and quantum-chemical investigations.