This red-coloured, diamagnetic solid is a reagent in organometallic chemistry and homogeneous catalysis.

The complex is structurally similar to (benzene)ruthenium dichloride dimer.

The dimer is prepared by the reaction of the phellandrene with hydrated ruthenium trichloride.

[1] At high temperatures, [(cymene)RuCl2]2 exchanges with other arenes: (Cymene)ruthenium dichloride dimer reacts with Lewis bases to give monometallic adducts: Such monomers adopt pseudo-octahedral piano-stool structures.

[2] [(cymene)RuCl2]2 is also used to prepare catalysts (by monomerization with dppf) used in borrowing hydrogen catalysis,[3] a catalytic reaction that is based on the activation of alcohols towards nucleophilic attack.