ABSTRACT
The element ruthenium was first discovered by a Russian Chemist Karl Karlovich Klaus in 1844 while analyzing a residue of platinum ore from Ural Mountains. Its name was derived from Latin name of Russia as Ruthenia. The compound usually used as a starting material in ruthenium chemistry is "hydrated ruthenium trichloride", an almost black, reflective solid that is obtained industrially by dissolving RuO4 in aqueous HCl and evaporating to dryness. In the search for superior metallodrugs, ruthenium chemistry is gaining momentum through the introduction of ruthenium containing macromolecular complexes. These complexes may differentiate between tumor cells and healthy cells. Ruthenium complexes are also known to perform a variety of inorganic and organic transformations. Ruthenium offers a wide range of oxidation states, which are accessible chemically and electrochemically. Environment-friendly homogeneous and immobilized ruthenium catalysts enabled indispensable synthetic methods inaccessible with other metal-based catalytic systems. Ruthenium complexes contribute to sustainable processes through the conservation of fossil resources and energy.
