Ruthenium(II) 9,10-phenanthrenequinone thiosemicarbazone complexes: synthesis, characterization, and catalytic activity towards the reduction as well as condensation of nitriles

The ligands 9,10-phenanthrenequinone-N4-substituted thiosemicarbazones (HL1–3) and their ruthenium(II) complexes were synthesized and characterized by elemental and spectroscopic methods. The ligands are tridentate, monobasic chelating ligands with O, N, and S as the donor sites and are in the thiol form in all the complexes. Catalytic studies showed that all the complexes displayed good catalytic activity towards the reduction of nitriles and also the condensation of nitriles with 2-aminoalcohol under solvent-free conditions.