The redox series [M(bpy)2(q)]n+, M = Ru or Os, Q = 3,5-di-tert-butyl-n-phenyl-1,2-benzoquinonemonoimine. Isolation and a complete X and W band EPR study of the semiquinone states (n = 1).

The complexes [M(bpy)(2)(Q)](PF(6)) (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridyl; M = Ru, Os; Q = 3,5-di-tert-butyl-N-phenyl-1,2-benzoquinonemonoimine) were isolated and studied by X and W band EPR in a dichloromethane solution at ambient temperatures and at 4 K. For M = Ru, the (14)N hyperfine splitting confirms the Ru(II)/semiquinone formulation, although at a > 1 mT, the (99,101)Ru satellite coupling is unusually high. W band EPR allowed us to determine the relatively small g anisotropy Delta g = g(1) - g(3) = 0.0665 for the ruthenium complex. The osmium analogue exhibits a much higher difference Delta g = 0.370, which is attributed not only to the larger spin-orbit coupling constant of Os versus that of Ru but also to a higher extent of metal contribution to the singly occupied molecular orbital. The difference Delta E between the oxidation and reduction potentials of the radical complexes is larger for the ruthenium compound (Delta E = 0.87 V) than for the osmium analogue (Delta E = 0.72), confirming the difference in metal/ligand interaction. The electrochemically generated states [M(bpy)(2)(Q)](n+), n = 0, 1, 2, and 3, were also characterized using UV-vis-near-infrared spectroelectrochemistry.