The first crystal structure of a one-dimensional chain of linked RuIIRuII units

The one-dimensional polymer [Ru2(O2CCF3)4(Phz)]∞1 (Phz = phenazine) was synthesized by the reaction of RuII2(O2CCF3)4(THF)2 with phenazine. An X-ray crystallographic analysis revealed that the compound consists of Ru2(O2CCF3)4 units bridged by phenazine ligands. The Ru–Ru bond distance is 2.3109(10) Å and the axial Ru–N distance is 2.425(2) Å. Magnetic measurements performed in the temperature range 1.8–300 K indicate that the S = 1 RuII2 units are weakly antiferromagnetically coupled (zJ = −3.0 cm−1) with a large zero-field splitting (D = 277 cm−1).