Properties and Reactivities of Polyaminopolycarboxylate (pac) Complexes of Ruthenium

Abstract The development and intriguing aspects of the chemistry of Ru—pac (pac = polyaminopolycarboxylate) complexes are reviewed in this article. Kinetics and mechanistic aspects of Ru—pac complexes towards substitution reactions are discussed with reference to the role of the uncoordinated pendant group of the pac ligands in the remarkable lability of Ru pac complexes towards the aquo-substitution process. The catalytic ability of Ru pac complexes in various organic transformations are highlighted, along with the mechanistic details. The recent development of electrocatalytic systems with Ru—pac complexes for activation of small molecules is addressed. Most current investigations on the mixed-ligand complexes of ruthenium-containing pac ligands are included in this article. Applications of these mixed-ligand complexes to some biochemical processes or in developing new inorganic materials are discussed.