Photoluminescence Electron-Transfer Quenching of Rhenium(I) Complexes with Organic Sulfides

Electron-transfer(ET) from organic sulfides to excited state rhenium(I)-based heteroleptic tricarbonyl complexes Re(bpy)(CO)₃(py)]⁺ (I) and Re(bpy)(CO)₃(ind))]⁺ (II) in acetonitrile solution is facile and luminescence quenching constants, k_q, are in the range 10⁵–10⁸ M⁻¹s⁻¹. The detection of the sulfide radical cation in this system using time-resolved absorption spectroscopy is a direct evidence for the ET nature of the reaction. The k_q values for the quenching of Re(I)-complexes with organic sulfides are analyzed with a scheme involving rate controlling electron transfer process. The measured rate constants for the electron transfer (ET) reaction are close to the values calculated from Marcus theory.