Excited State Tuning of Bis(tridentate) Ruthenium(II) Polypyridine Chromophores by Push–Pull Effects and Bite Angle Optimization: A Comprehensive Experimental and Theoretical Study

The synergy of push–pull substitution and enlarged ligand bite angles has been used in functionalized heteroleptic bis(tridentate) polypyridine complexes of ruthenium(II) to shift the ¹MLCT absorption and the ³MLCT emission to lower energy, enhance the emission quantum yield, and to prolong the ³MLCT excited‐state lifetime. In these complexes, that is, [Ru(ddpd)(EtOOC‐tpy)][PF₆]₂, [Ru(ddpd‐NH₂)(EtOOC‐tpy)][PF₆]₂, [Ru(ddpd){(MeOOC)₃‐tpy}][PF₆]₂, and [Ru(ddpd‐NH₂){(EtOOC)₃‐tpy}][PF₆]₂ the combination of the electron‐accepting 2,2′;6′,2′′‐terpyridine (tpy) ligand equipped with one or three COOR substituents with the electron‐donating N,N′‐dimethyl‐N,N′‐dipyridin‐2‐ylpyridine‐2,6‐diamine (ddpd) ligand decorated with none or one NH₂ group enforces spatially separated and orthogonal frontier orbitals with a small HOMO–LUMO gap resulting in low‐energy ¹MLCT and ³MLCT states. The extended bite angle of the ddpd ligand increases the ligand field splitting and pushes the deactivating ³MC state to higher energy. The properties of the new isomerically pure mixed ligand complexes have been studied by using electrochemistry, UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy, static and time‐resolved luminescence spectroscopy, and transient absorption spectroscopy. The experimental data were rationalized by using density functional calculations on differently charged species (charge n=0–4) and on triplet excited states (³MLCT and ³MC) as well as by time‐dependent density functional calculations (excited singlet states).     

Molecular Ruby under Pressure

The intensely luminescent chromium(III) complexes [Cr(ddpd)₂]³⁺ and [Cr(H₂tpda)₂]³⁺ show surprising pressure‐induced red shifts of up to ?15 cm^?1 kbar^?1 for their sharp spin‐flip emission bands (ddpd=N,N′‐dimethyl‐N,N′‐dipyridine‐2‐yl‐pyridine‐2,6‐diamine; H₂tpda=2,6‐bis(2‐pyridylamino)pyridine). These shifts surpass that of the established standard, ruby Al₂O₃:Cr³⁺, by a factor of 20. Beyond the common application in the crystalline state, the very high quantum yield of [Cr(ddpd)₂]³⁺ enables optical pressure sensing in aqueous and methanolic solution. These unique features of the molecular rubies [Cr(ddpd)₂]³⁺ and [Cr(H₂tpda)₂]³⁺ pave the way for highly sensitive optical pressure determination and unprecedented molecule‐based pressure sensing with a single type of emitter.     

Deuterated Molecular Ruby with Record Luminescence Quantum Yield

The recently reported luminescent chromium(III) complex 1 ³⁺ ([Cr(ddpd)₂]³⁺; ddpd=N,N′‐dimethyl‐N,N′‐dipyridine‐2‐yl‐pyridine‐2,6‐diamine) shows exceptionally strong near‐IR emission at 775 nm in water under ambient conditions (Φ=11 %) with a microsecond lifetime as the ligand design in 1 ³⁺ effectively eliminates non‐radiative decay pathways, such as photosubstitution, back‐intersystem crossing, and trigonal twists. In the absence of energy acceptors, such as dioxygen, the remaining decay pathways are energy transfer to high energy solvent and ligand oscillators, namely OH and CH stretching vibrations. Selective deuteration of the solvents and the ddpd ligands probes the efficiency of these oscillators in the excited state deactivation. Addressing these energy‐transfer pathways in the first and second coordination sphere furnishes a record 30 % quantum yield and a 2.3 millisecond lifetime for a metal complex with an earth‐abundant metal ion in solution at room temperature.     

Photosensitized Generation of Singlet Oxygen from (Substituted Bipyridine)ruthenium(II) Complexes

Photophysical properties in dilute MeCN solution are reported for seven Ru^II complexes containing two 2,2′‐bipyridine (bpy) ligands and different third ligands, six of which contain a variety of 4,4′‐carboxamide‐disubstituted 2,2′‐bipyridines, for one complex containing no 2,2′‐bipyridine, but 2 of these different ligands, for three multinuclear Ru^II complexes containing 2 or 4 [Ru(bpy)₂] moieties and also coordinated via 4,4′‐carboxamide‐disubstituted 2,2′‐bipyridine ligands, and for the complex [(Ru(bpy)₂(L)]²⁺ where L is N,N′‐([2,2′‐bipyridine]‐4,4′‐diyl)bis[3‐methoxypropanamide]. Absorption maxima are red‐shifted with respect to [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺, as are phosphorescence maxima which vary from 622 to 656 nm. The lifetimes of the lowest excited triplet metal‐to‐ligand charge transfer states ³MLCT in de‐aerated MeCN are equal to or longer than for [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺ and vary considerably, i.e., from 0.86 to 1.71 μs. Rate constants k_q for quenching by O₂ of the ³MLCT states were measured and found to be well below diffusion‐controlled, ranging from 1.2 to 2.0⋅10⁹ dm³ mol⁻¹ s⁻¹. The efficiencies f of singlet‐oxygen formation during oxygen quenching of these ³MLCT states are relatively high, namely 0.53 – 0.89. The product of k_q and f gives the net rate constant k for quenching due to energy transfer to produce singlet oxygen, and k_q−k equals k, the net rate constant for quenching due to energy dissipation of the excited ³MLCT states without energy transfer. The quenching rate constants were both found to correlate with ΔG^CT, the free‐energy change for charge transfer from the excited Ru complex to oxygen, and the relative and absolute values of these rate constants are discussed.     

Spin Crossover and Long-Lived Excited States in a Reduced Molecular Ruby

The chromium(III) complex [Cr^III(ddpd)₂]³⁺ (molecular ruby; ddpd=N,N′-dimethyl-N,N′-dipyridine-2-yl-pyridine-2,6-diamine) is reduced to the genuine chromium(II) complex [Cr^II(ddpd)₂]²⁺ with d⁴ electron configuration. This reduced molecular ruby represents one of the very few chromium(II) complexes showing spin crossover (SCO). The reversible SCO is gradual with T_1/2 around room temperature. The low-spin and high-spin chromium(II) isomers exhibit distinct spectroscopic and structural properties (UV/Vis/NIR, IR, EPR spectroscopies, single-crystal XRD). Excitation of [Cr^II(ddpd)₂]²⁺ with UV light at 20 and 290 K generates electronically excited states with microsecond lifetimes. This initial study on the unique reduced molecular ruby paves the way for thermally and photochemically switchable magnetic systems based on chromium complexes complementing the well-established iron(II) SCO systems.     

Strongly Coupled Cyclometalated Ruthenium Triarylamine Chromophores as Sensitizers for DSSCs

A series of anchor‐functionalized cyclometalated bis(tridentate) ruthenium(II) triarylamine hybrids [Ru(dbp‐X)(tctpy)]^2? [ 2 a ]^2?–[ 2 c ]^2? (H₃tctpy=2,2′;6′,2′′‐terpyridine‐4,4′,4′′‐tricarboxylic acid; dpbH=1,3‐dipyridylbenzene; X=N(4‐C₆H₄OMe)₂ ([ 2 a ]^2?), NPh₂ ([ 2 b ]^2?), N‐carbazolyl [ 2 c ]^2?) was synthesized and characterized. All complexes show broad absorption bands in the range 300–700 nm with a maximum at about 545 nm. Methyl esters [Ru(Me₃tctpy)(dpb‐X)]⁺ [ 1 a ]⁺–[ 1 c ]⁺ are oxidized to the strongly coupled mixed‐valent species [ 1 a ]²⁺–[ 1 c ]²⁺ and the Ru^III(aminium) complexes [ 1 a ]³⁺–[ 1 c ]³⁺ at comparably low oxidation potentials. Theoretical calculations suggest an increasing spin delocalization between the metal center and the triarylamine unit in the order [ 1 a ]²⁺<[ 1 b ]²⁺<[ 1 c ]²⁺. Solar cells were prepared with the saponified complexes [ 2 a ]^2?–[ 2 c ]^2? and the reference dye N719 as sensitizers using the I₃^?/I^? couple and [Co(bpy)₃]^3+/2+ and [Co(ddpd)₂]^3+/2+ couples as [B(C₆F₅)₄]^? salts as electrolytes (bpy=2,2′‐bipyridine; ddpd=N,N′‐dimethyl‐N,N′‐dipyridin‐2‐yl‐pyridine‐2,6‐diamine). Cells with [ 2 c ]^2? and I₃^?/I^? electrolyte perform similarly to cells with N719 . In the presence of cobalt electrolytes, all efficiencies are reduced, yet under these conditions [ 2 c ]^2? outperforms N719 .     

Quantum Chemical Study of the Pressure-dependent Phosphorescence of [Cr(ddpd)2]3+ in the Solid State

The chromium(III) complex [Cr(ddpd)₂][BF₄]₃ shows two spin-flip emission bands in the near-infrared spectral region. These bands shift bathochromically by −14.1 and −7.7 cm⁻¹ kbar⁻¹ under hydrostatic pressure (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2018 , 57, 11069). The present study elucidates the structural changes of the chromium(III) cations under pressure using density functional theory with periodic boundary conditions and the resulting effects on the excited state energies using high-level CASSCF-NEVPT2 calculations. The differences of the bands in pressure sensitivity are traced back to a different orbital occupation of the intraconfigurational excited states.     

Luminescence and Light‐Driven Energy and Electron Transfer from an Exceptionally Long‐Lived Excited State of a Non‐Innocent Chromium(III) Complex

Photoactive metal complexes employing Earth‐abundant metal ions are a key to sustainable photophysical and photochemical applications. We exploit the effects of an inversion center and ligand non‐innocence to tune the luminescence and photochemistry of the excited state of the [CrN₆] chromophore [Cr(tpe)₂]³⁺ with close to octahedral symmetry (tpe=1,1,1‐tris(pyrid‐2‐yl)ethane). [Cr(tpe)₂]³⁺ exhibits the longest luminescence lifetime (τ=4500 μs) reported up to date for a molecular polypyridyl chromium(III) complex together with a very high luminescence quantum yield of Φ=8.2 % at room temperature in fluid solution. Furthermore, the tpe ligands in [Cr(tpe)₂]³⁺ are redox non‐innocent, leading to reversible reductive chemistry. The excited state redox potential and lifetime of [Cr(tpe)₂]³⁺ surpass those of the classical photosensitizer [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺ (bpy=2,2′‐bipyridine) enabling energy transfer (to oxygen) and photoredox processes (with azulene and tri(n‐butyl)amine).     

Green-Light Activation of Push–Pull Ruthenium(II) Complexes

Synthesis, characterization, electrochemistry, and photophysics of homo- and heteroleptic ruthenium(II) complexes [Ru(cpmp)₂]²⁺ ( 2²⁺ ) and [Ru(cpmp)(ddpd)]²⁺ ( 3²⁺ ) bearing the tridentate ligands 6,2’’-carboxypyridyl-2,2’-methylamine-pyridyl-pyridine (cpmp) and N,N’-dimethyl-N,N’-dipyridin-2-ylpyridine-2,6-diamine (ddpd) are reported. The complexes possess one ( 3²⁺ ) or two ( 2²⁺ ) electron-deficient dipyridyl ketone fragments as electron-accepting sites enabling intraligand charge transfer (ILCT), ligand-to-ligand charge transfer (LL'CT) and low-energy metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) absorptions. The latter peak around 544 nm (green light). Complex 2²⁺ shows ³MLCT phosphorescence in the red to near-infrared spectral region at room temperature in deaerated acetonitrile solution with an emission quantum yield of 1.3 % and a ³MLCT lifetime of 477 ns, whereas 3²⁺ is much less luminescent. This different behavior is ascribed to the energy gap law and the shape of the parasitic excited ³MC state potential energy surface. This study highlights the importance of the excited-state energies and geometries for the actual excited-state dynamics. Aromatic and aliphatic amines reductively quench the excited state of 2²⁺ paving the way to photocatalytic applications using low-energy green light as exemplified with the green-light-sensitized thiol–ene click reaction.     

Pseudo-Octahedral Iron(II) Complexes with Near-Degenerate Charge Transfer and Ligand Field States at the Franck-Condon Geometry

Increasing the metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) excited state lifetime of polypyridine iron(II) complexes can be achieved by lowering the ligand's π* orbital energy and by increasing the ligand field splitting. In the homo- and heteroleptic complexes [Fe(cpmp)₂]²⁺ ( 1²⁺ ) and [Fe(cpmp)(ddpd)]²⁺ ( 2²⁺ ) with the tridentate ligands 6,2’’-carboxypyridyl-2,2’-methylamine-pyridyl-pyridine (cpmp) and N,N’-dimethyl-N,N’-di-pyridin-2-ylpyridine-2,6-diamine (ddpd) two or one dipyridyl ketone moieties provide low energy π* acceptor orbitals. A good metal-ligand orbital overlap to increase the ligand field splitting is achieved by optimizing the octahedricity through CO and NMe units between the coordinating pyridines which enable the formation of six-membered chelate rings. The push-pull ligand cpmp provides intra-ligand and ligand-to-ligand charge transfer (ILCT, LL'CT) excited states in addition to MLCT excited states. Ground and excited state properties of 1²⁺ and 2²⁺ were accessed by X-ray diffraction analyses, resonance Raman spectroscopy, (spectro)electrochemistry, EPR spectroscopy, X-ray emission spectroscopy, static and time-resolved IR and UV/Vis/NIR absorption spectroscopy as well as quantum chemical calculations.     

Two‐Photon Chemistry in Ruthenium 2,2′‐Bipyridyl‐Functionalized Single‐Wall Carbon Nanotubes

Ruthenium polypyridyl complexes are widely used as light harvesters in dye‐sensitized solar cells. Since one of the potential applications of single‐wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and their derived materials is their use as active components in organic and hybrid solar cells, the study of the photochemistry of SWCNTs with tethered ruthenium polypyridyl complexes is important. A water‐soluble ruthenium tris(bipyridyl) complex linked through peptidic bonds to SWCNTs (Ru‐SWCNTs) was prepared by radical addition of thiol‐terminated SWCNT to a terminal C?C double bond of a bipyridyl ligand of the ruthenium tris(bipyridyl) complex. The resulting macromolecular Ru‐SWCNT (≈500 nm, 15.6 % ruthenium complex content) was water‐soluble and was characterized by using TEM, thermogravimetric analysis, chemical analysis, and optical spectroscopy. The emission of Ru‐SWCNT is 1.6 times weaker than that of a mixture of [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺ and SWCNT of similar concentration. Time‐resolved absorption optical spectroscopy allows the detection of the [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺‐excited triplet and [Ru(bpy)₃]⁺. The laser flash studies reveal that Ru‐SWCNT exhibits an unprecedented two‐photon process that is enabled by the semiconducting properties of the SWCNT. Thus, the effect of the excitation wavelength and laser power on the transient spectra indicate that upon excitation of two [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺ complexes of Ru‐SWCNT, a disproportionation process occurs leading to delayed formation of [Ru(bpy)₃]⁺ and the performance of the SWCNT as a semiconductor. This two‐photon delayed [Ru(bpy)₃]⁺ generation is not observed in the photolysis of [Ru(bpy)₃]³⁺; SWCNT acts as an electron wire or electron relay in the disproportionation of two [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺ triplets in a process that illustrates that the SWCNT plays a key role in the process. We propose a mechanism for this two‐photon disproportionation compatible with i) the need for high laser flux, ii) the long lifetime of the [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺ triplets, iii) the semiconducting properties of the SWNT, and iv) the energy of the HOMO/LUMO levels involved.     

Photophysical Properties and Heterogeneous Photoredox Catalytic Activities of Ru(bpy)3@InBTB Metal–Organic Framework (MOF)

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with negatively charged frameworks are suitable for selectively encapsulating cationic guest ions via a cation-exchange process. Encapsulating photoactive [RuL₃]²⁺ polypyridine complexes into the preorganized mesoscale channels of a MOF is a good method for stabilizing the excited states of the complexes. Three new RuL₃@InBTB MOFs were prepared by encapsulating cationic [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺ (bpy=2,2′-bipyridine), [Ru(phen)₃]²⁺ (phen=1,10-phenanthroline), and [Ru(bpz)₃]²⁺ (bpz=2,2′-bipyrazine) into the mesopores of a three-dimensional (3D) InBTB MOF (H₃BTB=1,3,5-benzenetribenzoic acid). The photophysical properties of the resulting materials were investigated by photoluminescence (PL) analysis. The photoredox catalytic activities were also investigated for the aza-Henry reaction, hydrogenation of dimethyl maleate, and decomposition of methyl orange under visible light irradiation at room temperature. RuL₃@InBTB MOFs were found to be very stable and highly recyclable photoredox catalytic systems.     

Control of Excitation and Quenching in Multi‐colour Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence Systems through Choice of Co‐reactant

We demonstrate a new approach to manipulate the selective emission in mixed electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) systems, where subtle changes in co‐reactant properties are exploited to control the relative electron‐transfer processes of excitation and quenching. Two closely related tertiary‐amine co‐reactants, tri‐n‐propylamine and N,N‐diisopropylethylamine, generate remarkably different emission profiles: one provides distinct green and red ECL from [Ir(ppy)₃] (ppy=2‐phenylpyridinato‐C2,N) and a [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺ (bpy=2,2′‐bipyridine) derivative at different applied potentials, whereas the other generates both emissions simultaneously across a wide potential range. These phenomena can be rationalized through the relative exergonicities of electron‐transfer quenching of the excited states, in conjunction with the change in concentration of the quenchers over the applied potential range.     

Assessing a Spectroelectrochemical Sensor’s Performance for Detecting [Ru(bpy)3]2+ in Natural and Treated Water

A spectroelectrochemical sensor that combines three modes of selectivity in a single device was evaluated in natural and treated water samples using tris‐(2,2′‐bipyridyl) ruthenium(II) dichloride hexahydrate, [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺, as a model analyte. The sensor was an optically transparent indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode coated with a thin film of partially sulfonated polystyrene‐block‐poly(ethylene‐ran‐butylene)‐block‐polystyrene (SSEBS). As the potential of the ITO electrode was cycled from +0.7 to +1.3 V, the analyte changed from the colored [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺ complex to colorless [Ru(bpy)₃]³⁺ complex and the change in absorbance at 450 nm was used as the optical signal for quantification. Calibration curves were obtained for [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺ in natural well water, river water and treated tap water with detection limits of 108, 139 and 264 nM, respectively. A standard addition method was developed to determine an ‘unknown’ spike addition concentration of [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺ in well water. The spectroelectrochemical sensor determined the concentration of [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺ spiked into a sample of Hanford well water to be 0.39±0.03 µM versus the actual concentration of 0.40 µM.     

Chiral Bis(oxazoline) Ruthenium Complexes with Bipyridyl‐Type N‐Heteroaromatics: Comparative Stereochemical and Photochemical Characterization of their Λ‐ and Δ‐Diastereomeric Geminate Isomers

Diastereomeric geminate pairs of chiral bis(2‐oxazoline) ruthenium complexes with bipyridyl‐type N‐heteroaromatics, Λ‐ and Δ‐[Ru(L‐ L)₂(iPr‐biox)]²⁺ (iPr‐biox=(4S,4′S)‐4,4′‐diisopropyl‐2,2′‐bis(2‐oxazoline); L‐ L=2,2′‐bipyridyl (bpy) for 1 Λ and 1 Δ, 4,4′‐dimethyl‐2,2′‐bipyridyl (dmbpy) for 2 Λ and 2 Δ, and 1,10‐phenanthroline (phen) for 3 Λ and 3 Δ), were separated as BF₄ and PF₆ salts and were subjected to the comparative studies of their stereochemical and photochemical characterization. DFT calculations of 1 Λ and 1 Δ electronic configurations for the lowest triplet excited state revealed that their MO‐149 (HOMO) and MO‐150 (lower SOMO) characters are interchanged between them and that the phosphorescence‐emissive states are an admixture of a Ru‐to‐biox charge‐transfer state and an intraligand excited state within the iPr‐biox. Furthermore, photoluminescence properties of the two Λ,Δ‐diastereomeric series are discussed with reference to [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺.     

Evidence for symmetry reduction in excited states of [Ru(bpy)3]+ and related compounds

Photoselection and other spectroscopic data for [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺, [Ru(phen)₃]²⁺, [Ru(bpy)(py)₄]²⁺ and [Os(bpy)₃]²⁺ suggest that the emitting state for the tris compounds may be localized on a single ring.     

Some recent developments in pressure tuning spectroscopy

Pressure tuning spectroscopy has proved to be a powerful tool for studying a wide variety of electronic phenomena. In this review we present two recent examples of the application of high pressure luminescence: (1) a test of the validity of a kinetic model for the emission characteristics of molecules that emit from excited states with different degrees of charge transfer and different geometries (molecules with twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT)); (2) an elucidation of the mechanism for the large difference observed between the luminescence efficiencies of [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺ and [Ru(bpy)₂(py)₂]²⁺ in solid media.In 1994, Prof. H. G. Drickamer was awarded theHonoris causa degree by the Russian Academy of Sciences.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 7, pp. 1195–1202, July, 1995.     

Spectrocyclic Voltammetry of Ruthenium Purple Electrodeposited on a WO3/Tris(2,2′-bipyridine)-ruthenium(II)/Polymer Hybrid Film

Summary: Electrochemical reactions of Ruthenium purple, Feequation/tex2gif-stack-1.gif[Ru^II(CN)₆]₃ (RP; Fe^III-Ru^II) were studied using a spectrocyclic voltammetry (SCV) technique. The SCV measurement for an RP film coated on an ITO electrode showed a reversible redox between RP and Ruthenium white (RW; Fe^II-Ru^II) at 0.14 V vs saturated calomel reference electrode (SCE). An RP film was electrodeposited on a hybrid film of tungsten trioxide (WO₃)/tris(2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) ([Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺; bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine)/poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) (denoted as WRP film) from a colloidal solution containing 0.5 mM FeCl₃, 0.5 mM K₄[Ru(CN)₆] and 40 mM KCl using a potentiodynamic multi-sweep technique. In a cyclic voltammogram (CV) of a WRP/RP film, a redox response was observed at 0.61 V in addition to essential redox responses of WRP hybrid film (a [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺/[Ru(bpy)₃]³⁺ redox at 1.03 V and a H_xWO₃/WO₃ redox below 0.09 V), but a redox response of RW/RP was not observed at 0.14 V. The SCV measurement for the WRP/RP film suggested that the redox response at 0.61 V is attributed to a redox of [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺/[Ru(bpy)₃]³⁺ interacted electrostatically with RP. It also showed that RW is oxidized to RP via [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺/[Ru(bpy)₃]³⁺ redox and RP is reversibly reduced to RW via H_xWO₃/WO₃ redox. This unique geared electrochemical reaction for the WRP/RP film leads to a hysteresis property of an RW/RP redox.     

A Heteroleptic Push–Pull Substituted Iron(II) Bis(tridentate) Complex with Low‐Energy Charge‐Transfer States

A heteroleptic iron(II) complex [Fe(dcpp)(ddpd)]²⁺ with a strongly electron‐withdrawing ligand (dcpp, 2,6‐bis(2‐carboxypyridyl)pyridine) and a strongly electron‐donating tridentate tripyridine ligand (ddpd, N,N′‐dimethyl‐N,N′‐dipyridine‐2‐yl‐pyridine‐2,6‐diamine) is reported. Both ligands form six‐membered chelate rings with the iron center, inducing a strong ligand field. This results in a high‐energy, high‐spin state (⁵T₂, (t_2g)⁴(e_g*)²) and a low‐spin ground state (¹A₁, (t_2g)⁶(e_g*)⁰). The intermediate triplet spin state (³T₁, (t_2g)⁵(e_g*)¹) is suggested to be between these states on the basis of the rapid dynamics after photoexcitation. The low‐energy π^* orbitals of dcpp allow low‐energy MLCT absorption plus additional low‐energy LL′CT absorptions from ddpd to dcpp. The directional charge‐transfer character is probed by electrochemical and optical analyses, Mößbauer spectroscopy, and EPR spectroscopy of the adjacent redox states [Fe(dcpp)(ddpd)]³⁺ and [Fe(dcpp)(ddpd)]⁺, augmented by density functional calculations. The combined effect of push–pull substitution and the strong ligand field paves the way for long‐lived charge‐transfer states in iron(II) complexes.     

Influence of dissociation of tris(2,2′-bipyridyl)iron(II) cations on the time dependence of currents in clay-modified electrodes

The time dependence of the voltammetric waves of [Fe(bpy)₃]²⁺ adsorbed in clay-modified electrodes (CMES) differed greatly from those of [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺ and [Os(bpy)₃]²⁺. The currents obtained with the ruthenium and osmium cations were essentially constant in the first 2 h that the CME spent in the blank electrolyte. For [Fe(bpy)₃]²⁺, the maximum currents were twice as large. After a sharp rise in the first few scans, they decreased rapidly to less than half of their maximum values after 40 min. The decrease was more rapid when the potential was scanned continuously or when the pH of the electrolyte was increased. Coulometry shows that a larger fraction of the adsorbed [Fe(bpy)₃] ²⁺ cations were oxidized and that they were oxidized much more rapidly than the other two cations. The unique behaviour of [Fe(bpy)₃]²⁺ is attributed to its dissociation in the CME. UV—visible spectroscopy shows that significant dissociation of this cation occurred on the time-scale of the electrochemical measurements. Much larger currents were also found for CMEs containing cis- or trans-[Ru(bpy)₂(H₂O)₂] ²⁺, and these are attributed to the greater mobility of adsorbed bis-bipyridyl cations.