Two `Ruthenium-Blue' Precursors: Tri-[mu]-chloro-hexakis(dimethylphenylarsine)diruthenium(II) Trifluoromethanesulfonate and Tri-[mu]-bromo-hexakis(trimethylarsine)diruthenium(II) Trifluoromethanesulfonate

Confacial bi-octahedral [Ru₂([mu]-Cl)₃(AsMe₂Ph)₆]CF₃SO₃, (1), and [Ru₂([mu]-Br)₃(AsMe₃)₆]CF₃SO₃, (2), are the first tertiary-arsine-capped systems within the wider class of redox-active [L₃Ru([mu]-X)₃RuL₃]^+/2+ complexes (L = NR₃, PR₃ or AsR₃; X = Cl or Br) to be structurally characterized. Compounds (1) and (2) have measured internuclear separations and mean bridgehead angles (Ru^II...Ru^II/Ru-X-Ru) of 3.275 (2)/83.5 and 3.413 (1) Å/81.8°, respectively.

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