Ruthenium(II)-polyazine light absorbers bridged to reactive cis-dichlororhodium(III) centers in a bimetallic molecular architecture

Bimetallic complexes of the form (bpy)(2)Ru(BL)RhCl(2)(phen)](PF(6))(3), where bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, and BL = 2,3-bis(2-pyridyl)pyrazine (dpp) or 2,2'-bipyrimidine (bpm), were synthesized, characterized, and compared to the {(bpy)(2)Ru(BL)}(2)RhCl(2)](PF(6))(5) trimetallic analogues. The new complexes were synthesized via the building block method, exploiting the known coordination chemistry of Rh(III) polyazine complexes. In contrast to {(bpy)(2)Ru(dpp)}(2)RhCl(2)](PF(6))(5) and {(bpy)(2)Ru(bpm)}(2)RhCl(2)](PF(6))(5), (bpy)(2)Ru(dpp)RhCl(2)(phen)](PF(6))(3) and (bpy)(2)Ru(bpm)RhCl(2)(phen)](PF(6))(3) have a single visible light absorber subunit coupled to the cis-Rh(III)Cl(2) moiety, an unexplored molecular architecture. The electrochemistry of (bpy)(2)Ru(dpp)RhCl(2)(phen)](PF(6))(3) showed a reversible oxidation at 1.61 V (vs Ag/AgCl) (Ru(III/II)), quasi-reversible reductions at -0.39 V, -0.74, and -0.98 V. The first two reductive couples corresponded to two electrons, consistent with Rh reduction. The electrochemistry of (bpy)(2)Ru(bpm)RhCl(2)(phen)](PF(6))(3) exhibited a reversible oxidation at 1.76 V (Ru(III/II)). A reversible reduction at -0.14 V (bpm(0/-)), and quasi-reversible reductions at -0.77 and -0.91 V each corresponded to a one electron process, bpm(0/-), Rh(III/II), and Rh(II/I). The dpp bridged bimetallic and trimetallic display Ru(dpi)-->dpp(pi*) metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) transitions at 509 nm (14,700 M(-1) cm(-1)) and 518 nm (26,100 M(-1) cm(-1)), respectively. The bpm bridged bimetallic and trimetallic display Ru(dpi)-->bpm(pi*) charge transfer (CT) transitions at 581 nm (4,000 M(-1) cm(-1)) and 594 nm (9,900 M(-1) cm(-1)), respectively. The heteronuclear complexes (bpy)(2)Ru(dpp)RhCl(2)(phen)](PF(6))(3) and {(bpy)(2)Ru(dpp)}(2)RhCl(2)](PF(6))(5) had (3)MLCT emissions that are Ru(dpi)-->dpp(pi*) CT in nature but were red-shifted and lower intensity than (bpy)(2)Ru(dpp)Ru(bpy)(2)](PF(6))(4). The lifetimes of the (3)MLCT state of (bpy)(2)Ru(dpp)RhCl(2)(phen)](PF(6))(3) at room temperature (30 ns) was shorter than (bpy)(2)Ru(dpp)Ru(bpy)(2)](PF(6))(4), consistent with favorable electron transfer to Rh(III) to generate a metal-to-metal charge-transfer ((3)MMCT) state. The reported synthetic methods provide means to a new molecular architecture coupling a single Ru light absorber to the Rh(III) center while retaining the interesting cis-Rh(III)Cl(2) moiety.