A bis 1,10-phenanthroline ligand leading to octahedral Ru(II) complexes containing a well-defined axis

A bis-chelating ligand (1), made of two 1,10-phenanthroline subunits connec ted with a p(CH2)(2)C6H4(CH2)(2)- spacer through their 4 positions, has bee n prepared, using Skraup syntheses and reaction of the anion of 4-methyl-7- anisyl-1, 10-phenanthroline with alpha,alpha -dibromo-pxylene. Complexation of 1 with Ru(CH3CN)(4)Cl-2 and subsequent reaction with 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2' -bipyridine afforded an octahedral Ru(II) tris-diimine complex, in which a well-defined axis running through the terminal anisyl substituents and the central metal has been created, as shown by an X-ray molecular structure an alysis. (C) 2001 Academie des sciences / Editions scientifiques et medicale s Elsevier SAS.