Efficient access to a versatile 5,6-dithio-1,10-phenanthroline building block and corresponding organometallic complexes.

A facile access to 5,6-bis(2-cyanoethylsulfanyl)-1,10-phenanthroline 1 and its ruthenium(II) bipyridil complex 2, as versatile building blocks for the straightforward synthesis of 5,6-dithio functionalized 1,10-phenanthroline based systems, is described.