Nitric oxide species as oxidising agents and adducts for soft scorpionates

Bis-(κ-H,S,S-dihydrobis-(methimazolyl)borato) ruthenium(II), [Ru(Bm)], has been prepared and tested as a nitric oxide scavenger using NO, NOBF and NOBr. The products isolated show that, NO and NO are good one electron oxidising agents towards the ruthenium complexes but NO is not coordinated to the metal. The oxidised species, [Ru(Bm)]BF has been isolated and characterised. Reaction of "Ru(NO)Cl" with NaBm results in the removal of the borohydride from the ligand and formation of [Ru(mtH)(mt)(NO)Cl].