Where is ruthenium used

It is included in group 8, period 5 and block d in modern periodic table and it is a member of the platinum group metals [ 5 ]. It is quite rare in that it is found as about 0. This fraction of abundance makes it sixth rarest metal in earth crust.

As other platinum group metals, it is obtained from platinum ores [ 7 ]. For instance, it is also obtained by purification process of a mineral called osmiridium [ 5 ]. In the modern periodic table, group 8 consists of four chemical elements. Ruthenium has atomic number of 44, that is, it contains 44 electrons distributed in atomic orbitals and its nucleus has 44 protons and 57 neutrons Figure 1. Electron distribution in atomic or molecular orbitals is called electron configuration which for Ru and the other group 8 chemical elements is shown in Table 1.

Except for Ru, the electron configuration of group 8 elements shows two electrons in their outer most shell; Ruthenium has only one electron in its outermost shell. This tendency is quite similar to its neighboring metals such as niobium Nb , molybdenum Mo and rhodium Rh [ 8 ]. Schematic of the electron configuration and nucleus of an atom of Ruthenium.

Any atom having same number of protons, but different number of neutrons is termed as an Isotope. Isotopes can be differentiated on the basis of mass number as each isotope consists of different mass number which is being written on the right of the element name [ 1 , 7 ].

Mass number indicates sum total of proton and neutron present in the nucleus of atom [ 9 ]. Ruthenium has many isotopes although only seven of them are stable. Apart from seven stable isotopes, 34 radioactive isotopes of Ruthenium are also found [ 8 ]. The most stable radioactive isotopes are Ru, Ru, 97 Ru having a half-life of Other characteristics of the main isotopes are listed in Table 2 [ 8 ]. Some of the fundamental properties of platinum group metals are summarized in Table 3 [ 8 ].

At room temperature, Ru does not lose its luster because it is unreactive in that condition but shows paramagnetic behavior [ 7 ]. It also reacts with halogens at higher temperature. As far as dissolution is concerned, Ruthenium does not dissolve in most of the acid or mixture of acids such as aqua regia which is a mixture of hydrochloric acid and nitric acid [ 7 , 10 ]. When it is reacted with alkali it forms ruthenate ion which leads to dissolution of Ruthenium in alkalies Eq.

As noted above, Ruthenium undergoes oxidation reaction to form Ruthenium oxide [ 11 ]. When Ruthenium oxide undergoes further oxidation in the presence of sodium metaperiodate, Ruthenium tetraoxide RuO 4 is formed Eq.

However, RuO 4 differs from OsO 4 since it can easily oxidize diluted form of hydrochloric acid as well as ethanol at normal room temperature [ 12 ]. RuO 4 also has specific stain property which is utilized in electron microscopy to investigate organic polymer samples [ 11 , 13 ].

Ruthenium reacts with hydroxide ions to attain higher coordination number [ 13 ]. Ruthenium does not form oxoanion readily as seen with iron. Ruthenium can also attain same oxidation state when potassium ruthenate gets oxidize in the presence of chlorine gas [ 9 ]. Coordination complex is the process where a center molecule makes bond with surrounding atoms or ions which are also known as ligands. Ruthenium readily forms coordinate complexes with different derivatives.

It reacts with pentaamines to form different coordination complex. Ruthenium reacts with pyridine derivatives to form tris bipyridine ruthenium II chloride Eq. Ruthenium also reacts with carbon containing compounds.

Ruthenium makes hydride complex when Ruthenium trichloride is heated in presence of alcohol which then reacts with triphenylphosphine to form chlorohydridotris triphenylphosphine ruthenium II Eq. Ruthenium acts as a catalyst in many reactions. In the olefin metathesis, the carbene and alkylidene complex of Ruthenium act as a catalyst. In Fischer Tropsch reaction Eq. Fischer Tropsch reaction is a reaction in which liquid hydrocarbons are formed as a product of reaction between hydrogen and carbon monoxide.

Decomposition process of ammonia also employs Ru as catalyst [ 17 ]. Borrowing hydrogen reaction is a reaction where two atoms of hydrogen are transferred to the catalyst to covert alcohol to carbonyl. The same reaction occurs in the conversion of alcohol to alkenes [ 5 , 17 ]. Ruthenium carbonyl complex catalyzes the conversion of primary alcohol to aldehydes and secondary alcohol to aldehydes and ketones in the presence of a co-oxidant N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide NMO [ 8 ].

In recent years, there has been remarkable growth and evaluation in the field of coordination and organometallic chemistry of Ru. Many publications have appeared recently on the formation of Ru-based complexes and their applications in such areas as medicine, catalysis, biology, nanoscience, redox and photoactive materials. These developments can be related to the fact that Ru has the unique ability to exist in multiple oxidation states.

Examples of these complexes and various applications of Ru are reviewed in the following sections. Ruthenium II -arene complex has a structure of three-legged piano stool with a metal at the center in a quasi-octahedral geometry which is occupied by byan arene complex. The formed complexes Figure 2 show the solubility in polar solvents dichloromethane and acetone and are insoluble in non- polar solvents aspentane and hexane.

Structure of p-cymene ruthenium II 2- naphthylazo phenolate complexes. Polypyridines are multi-denated ligands which are responsible for characteristics property of metal complex they formed.

Some of complexes show the characteristics of absorption of light by a process called metal-to-ligands charge transfer MLCT. This said property of metal complex is due to the change in substituent to the polypyridine moiety. Among the polypyridine ligands for ruthenium complexes the mostly studied complex is Tris bipyridine ruthenium II chloride Figure 3. It is a red crystalline salt having a hexahydrate form. Structure of Tris bipyridine ruthenium II chloride.

Ruthenium has a wide variety of application in diverse fields. Few of the applications of Ruthenium are listed below. Ruthenium finds application both in electronic industry and chemical industry. In electrical industry it is used in manufacturing of electronic chips [ 19 ]. Chemically it is used in the form of anodes for chlorine production in electrochemical cells [ 20 ]. Ruthenium is used as a hardener when it is mixed with other metals to form alloy. This characteristic of ruthenium is used in the preparation of jewelry of palladium [ 18 , 20 ].

When Ruthenium forms alloy with titanium it improves its corrosion resistant property. Ruthenium alloys also find application in manufacturing of turbines of jet engines [ 17 ]. Fountain pen nibs also contain Ru tips. Ruthenium has also application in therapy. For instance isotope of Ru has application in radiotherapy of malignant cells of eye [ 11 ]. RuO 4 is used in criminal investigations as it reacts with any fat or fatty substance having sebaceous pigments to give black or brown coloration due to formation of ruthenium dioxide pigments [ 12 ].

Ruthenium complexes tend to absorb light rays of visible spectrum. This property of ruthenium finds application in manufacturing solar cells for production of solar energy. This property of Ru is used in making a layer or film on hard disk drives [ 12 ]. Ruthenium is used for determination of calcitonin level in blood.

This determination is helpful in diagnosis and treatment of diseases related to thyroid and parathyroid glands. In treatment of medullary thyroid carcinoma MTC , determination of calcitonin level plays an important role. The process of determination of calcitonin level involves one step sandwich assay method.

Ruthenium Jewelry. Black Ruthenium Jewelry. Ruthenium Ring. Ruthenium Pictures. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Trending Topics Hydrohalogenation. Excess Reagent. Catalytic Reaction Catalysis. Aufbau Principle. Lewis Structure. Elementary Reaction. Formal Charge. Buffer Solution.

Metathesis Reaction. Dynamic Equilibrium. About Contact. Electron Affinity. Previous Element Technetium. Next Element Rhodium. What's in a name? From the Latin word for the country of Russia, Ruthenia. Say what? Ruthenium is pronounced as roo-THE-nee-em.