A ruthenium-based complex according to general formula wherein R is independently of one another hydrogen, hydroxy, thiol, thioether, ketone, aldehyde, ester, ether, amine, imine, amide, nitro, carboxylic acid, disulphide, carbonate, isocyanate, carbodiimide, carboalkoxy, carbamate halogen, straight-chain or branched C 1 -C 10 -alkyl, preferably methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, iso-propyl, n-butyl, iso-butyl, sec-butyl or tert-butyl, C 6 -C 24 -aryl, preferably phenyl, or together with the carbon atoms to which they are bound form a C 6 -C 10 -cycloalkyl or C 6 -C 10 -aryl substituent, alkyl thiolate, aryl thiolate, B(R 3) 2 or B(R 3) 3, whereas R 3 is alkyl, aryl, alkoxy or aryloxy or CF 3, n is 0 to 4, preferably 0 to 2, more preferably 0 to 1 R 1 is straight-chain or branched C 1 -C 10 -alkyl, preferably methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, iso-propyl, n-butyl, iso-butyl, sec-butyl, tert-butyl or neopentyl, C 3 -C 10 -cycloalkyl, preferably cyclohexyl or adamantyl, C 6 -C 24 -aryl, preferably phenyl, C 1 -C 10 -alkylsulphonate, preferably methanesulphonate, C 6 -C 10 -arylsulphonate, preferably p-toluenesulphonate, 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl (Mes) or 2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl (Trip), R 2 is hydrogen, straight-chain or branched C 1 -C 10 -alkyl, preferably methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, iso-propyl, n-butyl, iso-butyl, sec-butyl, tert-butyl or neopentyl, C 3 -C 10 -cycloalkyl, preferably cyclohexyl or adamantyl, C 6 -C 24 -aryl, preferably phenyl, C 1 -C 10 -alkylsulphonate, preferably methanesulphonate, C 6 -C 10 -arylsulphonate, preferably p-toluenesulphonate, 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl (Mes) or 2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl (Trip), X is an anionic ligand, and Y 1 and Y 2 are identical or different and are each a C 1 -C 10 -alkylphosphine ligand, C 3 -C 20 -cycloalkylphosphine ligand, preferably tricyclohexylphosphine (PCy 3), a sulfonated C 1 -C 10 -alkylphosphine ligand, a C 1 -C 10 -alkylphosphinite ligand, a C 1 -C 10 -alkylphosphonite ligand, a C 1 -C 10 -alkyl phosphite ligand, a C 1 -C 10 -alkylarsine ligand, a C 1 -C 10 -alkylamine ligand, a substituted or not substituted pyridine ligand, a C 1 -C 10 -alkyl sulfoxide ligand, a C 1 -C 10 -alkyloxy ligand or a C 1 -C 10 -alkylamide ligand, each of which may be substituted by a phenyl group which may in turn be substituted by a halogen, C 1 -C 5 -alkyl or C 1 -C 5 -alkoxygroup. R is independently of one another hydrogen, hydroxy, thiol, thioether, ketone, aldehyde, ester, ether, amine, imine, amide, nitro, carboxylic acid, disulphide, carbonate, isocyanate, carbodiimide, carboalkoxy, carbamate halogen, straight-chain or branched C 1 -C 10 -alkyl, preferably methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, iso-propyl, n-butyl, iso-butyl, sec-butyl or tert-butyl, C 6 -C 24 -aryl, preferably phenyl, or together with the carbon atoms to which they are bound form a C 6 -C 10 -cycloalkyl or C 6 -C 10 -aryl substituent, alkyl thiolate, aryl thiolate, B(R 3) 2 or B(R 3) 3, whereas R 3 is alkyl, aryl, alkoxy or aryloxy or CF 3, n is 0 to 4, preferably 0 to 2, more preferably 0 to 1 R 1 is straight-chain or branched C 1 -C 10 -alkyl, preferably methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, iso-propyl, n-butyl, iso-butyl, sec-butyl, tert-butyl or neopentyl, C 3 -C 10 -cycloalkyl, preferably cyclohexyl or adamantyl, C 6 -C 24 -aryl, preferably phenyl, C 1 -C 10 -alkylsulphonate, preferably methanesulphonate, C 6 -C 10 -arylsulphonate, preferably p-toluenesulphonate, 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl (Mes) or 2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl (Trip), R 2 is hydrogen, straight-chain or branched C 1 -C 10 -alkyl, preferably methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, iso-propyl, n-butyl, iso-butyl, sec-butyl, tert-butyl or neopentyl, C 3 -C 10 -cycloalkyl, preferably cyclohexyl or adamantyl, C 6 -C 24 -aryl, preferably phenyl, C 1 -C 10 -alkylsulphonate, preferably methanesulphonate, C 6 -C 10 -arylsulphonate, preferably p-toluenesulphonate, 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl (Mes) or 2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl (Trip), X is an anionic ligand, and Y 1 and Y 2 are identical or different and are each a C 1 -C 10 -alkylphosphine ligand, C 3 -C 20 -cycloalkylphosphine ligand, preferably tricyclohexylphosphine (PCy 3), a sulfonated C 1 -C 10 -alkylphosphine ligand, a C 1 -C 10 -alkylphosphinite ligand, a C 1 -C 10 -alkylphosphonite ligand, a C 1 -C 10 -alkyl phosphite ligand, a C 1 -C 10 -alkylarsine ligand, a C 1 -C 10 -alkylamine ligand, a substituted or not substituted pyridine ligand, a C 1 -C 10 -alkyl sulfoxide ligand, a C 1 -C 10 -alkyloxy ligand or a C 1 -C 10 -alkylamide ligand, each of which may be substituted by a phenyl group which may in turn be substituted by a halogen, C 1 -C 5 -alkyl or C 1 -C 5 -alkoxygroup.