Ruthenium is a transition metal and it is located in period 5 and group 8 of the periodic table, along with iron (Fe) and osmium (Os).
Ruthenium is commonly found in many industrial and commercial applications, including in the production of hard disk drives, electrical contacts, and jewelry. Some common molecules and compounds that ruthenium is a part of include:
Ruthenium dioxide (RuO2) - a compound commonly used in the production of resistors and other electronic components.
Ruthenium tetroxide (RuO4) - a highly toxic and volatile compound that is used as an oxidizing agent in organic chemistry.
Ruthenium red - a dye used in biological staining and electron microscopy.
Ammonium hexachlororuthenate (NH4)2[RuCl6] - a ruthenium compound used in electroplating and as a precursor for other ruthenium compounds.
Various ruthenium complexes - such as [Ru(bpy)3]2+, which is a commonly used photochemical catalyst.
These are just a few examples of the many molecules and compounds that ruthenium is a part of.