Tetra-μ-acetato-κ(8) O:O′-bis­[(3-cyano­pyridine-κN (1))ruthenium(II,III)](Ru—Ru) hexa­fluoridophosphate 1,2-dichloro­ethane monosolvate

The title compound, [Ru(2)(CH(3)CO(2))(4)(C(6)H(4)N(2))(2)]PF(6)·C(2)H(4)Cl(2), was obtained via a rapid substitution reaction in 2-propanol whereby 3-cyano­pyridine replaces the axial water mol­ecules in the diaquatetra-μ-acetato-diruthenium(II,III) hexa­fluorido­phosphate starting material. The product rapidly precipated and crystals were grown from 1,2-dichloro­ethane. The 1,2-dichloro­ethane mol­ecule of solvation exhibits disorder with two different orientations [occupancy ratio 0.51 (6):0.49 (6)]. All three parts, the cation, the anion and the disordered solvent mol­ecule lie on crystallographic inversion centers. The Ru—Ru bond length of 2.2702 (6) Å fits nicely into the range seen for similar complexes and correlates well with the reduction potential of the complex and donor strength of the axial ligand, 3-cyano­pyridine, as postulated in a previous study [Vamvounis et al. (2000 ▶). Inorg. Chim. Acta, 305, 87–98]. The 3-cyano­pyridine ligands orient themselves in an anti configuration with respect to each other and the Ru—Ru—N angle [174.27 (7)°] is close to being linear.