Ru(II) complexes containing (2-(pyren-1-ylmethylene)hydrazinyl) benzothiazole: Synthesis, solid-state structure, computational study and catalysis in N-alkylation reactions

Reactions of (2-(pyren-1-ylmethylene)hydrazinyl)benzothiazole (L) with ruthenium(II) prefabricated precursors [RuHCl(CO)(EPh3)(3)] and [RuH2(CO)(EPh3)(3)] (E = P or As) afforded new Ru(II) complexes [RuCl(CO) (EPh3)(2)(L)] and [RuH(CO)(EPh3)(2)(L)] (E = P or As) (1-4). All the Ru(II) complexes (1-4) were characterized by IR, NMR spectroscopies, ESI-mass spectrometry and elemental analyses. The solid-state structures of Ru(II) complexes (2 and 3) were established by single crystal X-ray analyses and revealed distorted octahedral geometries around the ruthenium(II) ion and mono anionic bidentate N<^>N coordination mode for hydrazine ligand. The Ru(II) complexes 2 and 3 were also analyzed using Hirshfeld surface analysis and DFT calculations. Moreover, all the complexes (1-4) were utilized in the N-alkylation reactions of amines using alcohol. Complex 3 was found to be highly active towards N-alkylation of different aromatic amines with alcohol.