Ruthenium(III) chloride

Ruthenium chloride is a dark brown or black solid often used as a powder. It is slightly soluble in organic solvents. Typically, ruthenium metal powder and chlorine are heated to create anhydrous ruthenium(III) chloride.

Ruthenium chloride is most used as a precursor for the synthesis of ruthenium complexes. One common application of ruthenium trichloride is in the synthesis of ruthenium nanoparticles, which are used as catalysts or composited with other materials and used as co-catalysts for both oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions Researchers have used our ruthenium chloride to produce high-quality, catalytically active ruthenium nanoparticles and ruthenium oxide nanoparticles. In addition, common application of ruthenium chloride anhydrous is as a precursor for single-atom catalysts. For example, scientists have used ruthenium chloride for the synthesis of ruthenium single-atom-doped ZrO₂ particles to catalyze nitrogen fixation and for the synthesis of ruthenium single-atom-doped MXenes to catalyze hydrogen evolution. A third common application of ruthenium chloride hydrate is in the synthesis of metal alloys, like PtRuIr, or PtRuFe, which are investigated for electrocatalysis, usually the oxidation of simple organics like methanol or formic acid.