Oxygen quenching of tris(2,2′-bipyridine) ruthenium(II) complexes in thin organic films

A study is presented of the quenching, by oxygen, of the luminescence of tris(2,2′-bipyridine) ruthenium(II) complexes immobilized in thin, transparent, polymer-based films. The film media consist of a water-insoluble linear polymer plasticized with a trialkylphosphate ester, in which the complex ruthenium cations are solubilized by ion pairing with organophilic anions such as tetraphenylborate.

Luminescence lifetimes were studied in relation oxygen concentration in a gas stream contiguous with the film medium, film thickness and concentration of the metal complex within the film medium. It is shown that the microheterogeneous environment of the luminescent complex, which has recently been implicated in the non-linear quenching responses of polymer-immobilized, transition metal complex oxygen sensors, may arise simply as a consequence of the limited solubility of the complex in the film medium. When solubility is limited, the partial precipitation of the complex results in a colloidal of luminescent particles which exhibit non- uniform susceptibilities to quenching by oxygen. Good solubility, and therefore linear quenching characteristics, are promoted by methyl substitution of the bipyridyl ligand and by use of a plasticizer (tributylphosphate) with marked cation solvating powers.     

Photoluminescent multilayer film based on polyoxometalate and tris(2,2-bipyridine)ruthenium

A photoluminescent multilayer film based on Keggin-type polyoxometalate PMo₁₂O₄₀³⁻ (PMo₁₂) and transition metal complex tris(2,2-bipyridine) ruthenium [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺ (Ru(bpy)) was prepared by using layer-by-layer assembly(LBL). The formation of multilayer film was monitored by ultraviolet absorption spectra. The absorption intensity of characteristic peaks increase with a four-layer cycle, indicating that the LBL assembly film grow linearly and reproducibly from layer to layer. The composition of the film was measured by X-ray photoelectron spectrum (XPS). The data of XPS confirmed the presence of the expected elements. The film exhibited photoluminescence arising from π^*−t_2g ligand-to-metal transition of Ru(bpy) and redox activity attributing to molybdenum-centered redox processes of PMo₁₂. The surface morphology of multilayer film was characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The result shows that the film had a smooth surface with root-mean-square (rms) roughness ca. 1.363 nm for {PEI/(PSS/PEI/PMo₁₂/Ru(bpy))₃}. The grains are homogeneously dispersed in the substrate and have a rather narrow diameter size distribution.     

Luminescence quenching of tris(2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) by phenol and dichlorophenols in sol-gel-processed spin-coated thin films

The luminescence spectral behaviour of the ruthenium(II)-tris-1,2-bipyridine ion (Ru(bpy)₃²⁺) included in organically modified silicate gel matrixes, and the luminescence quenching by phenol and dichlorophenols were investigated. The chloro-derivatives were 2,4-, 2,5- and 2,6-dichlorophenol. Sol-gel technology was used to prepare the “sol” with the precursor methyltriethoxysilane. Coating thin films were obtained from the “sol” by spin coating on glass slide. The Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ luminescence quenching experiments were carried out with the quencher in aerated aqueous solution at pH 12 in contact with the film. It was possible to observe an important blue shift in the Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ emission spectrum included in the films with respect to the aqueous solution. The quenching plots obtained showed a downward curvature. These plots could be fitted satisfactorily by a sum of two terms of Stern-Volmer with quenching constants K_SV1 and K_SV2 associated to two different binding sites of the ruthenium complex, which indicates the presence of a matrix microheterogeneity in the films. The K_SV1 and K_SV2 values and the corresponding fractions of the total emission f₀₁ and f₀₂ for both sites in the films suggest that only a low percentage of the probe is accessible to the quencher and that the probe is efficiently quenched in one of the sites. This site of the probe was assigned to the Site 1 in the results analysis. The value of its respective constant, K_SV1, was higher than the value of the constant K_SV in homogeneous aqueous solution for the studied quenchers, phenol and dichlorophenols.     

Novel synthetic routes to several new, differentially substituted ruthenium tris(4,4 disubstituted-2,2-bipyridine) complexes

The stepwise synthesis of several novel Ru(tris(pp)) complexes (pp = 4,4'-disubstituted-2,2'-bipyridine; substituent = H, Me, chiral ester, or chiral amide) is described, where the pp ligands may be the same, or different, in each complex. All of the complexes detailed have been resolved into their pure delta- and lambda-enantiomers or diastereomers. The complexes, which are prepared starting from RuCl3, contain novel ligand architectures, with a range of chiral esters and amides attached to the 4,4'-positions of the bpy ligands. It was postulated that these chiral groups would be capable of inducing chirality at the metal center, but our investigations have shown this not to be the case, and in all reactions completely racemic products were formed. Resolution by chiral HPLC, and the subsequent characterization of the products through NMR, UV-vis, and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, has been carried out; the characteristics of the CD spectra have been discussed with respect to the electron-donating/ withdrawing ability of the groups at the 4,4'-positions. The X-ray crystal structure of the optically pure complex lambda-[Ru(dmbpy)2(4,4'-bis((R)-(+)-alpha-phenylethylamido)-2,2'-bipyridine)] x 2PF6 x 2CHCl3 was obtained and solved using direct methods. This result, in conjunction with the CD spectra, enabled the complete and unambiguous assignment of the stereocenters of all of the novel Ru(tris(bpy)) complexes prepared in this investigation.     

Spectroscopic and magnetic evidence for multiple-state emission from tris(2,2′-bipyridine) ruthenium (II) sulfate

Spectral changes of the charge-transfer photoluminescence of the title compound between 2 and 10°K have been interpreted in terms of a manifold of emitting states in thermal equilibrium. Analysis of the band shape changes by means of the Boltzmann law yields an energy gap of 10.2 cm^?1 in excellent agreement with the value obtained from published decay time measurements. A 75-kG magnetic field on the sample maintained at 1.65°K switches the emission back to that seen at 4.2°K. These results also corroborate the assignment of the lowest two states responsible for the luminescence to A₁ and E symmetry in the group D₃.     

Disposable biosensor based on cathodic electrochemiluminescence of tris(2,2-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) for uric acid determination

A new method for uric acid (UA) determination based on the quenching of the cathodic ECL of the tris(2,2-bipyridine)ruthenium(II)–uricase system is described. The biosensor is based on a double-layer design containing first tris(2,2-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) (Ru(bpy)₃²⁺) electrochemically immobilized on graphite screen-printed cells and uricase in chitosan as a second layer. The uric acid biosensing is based on the ECL quenching produced by uric acid over the cathodic ECL caused by immobilized Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ in the presence of uricase. The use of a −1.1 V pulse for 1 s with a dwelling time of 10 s makes it possible to estimate the initial enzymatic rate, which is used as the analytical signal. The Stern–Volmer type calibration function shows a dynamic range from 1.0 × 10⁻⁵ to 1.0 × 10⁻³ M with a limit of detection of 3.1 × 10⁻⁶ M and an accuracy of 13.6% (1.0 × 10⁻⁴ M, n = 5) as relative standard deviation. Satisfactory results were obtained for urine samples, creating an affordable alternative for uric acid determination.     

Tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) chemiluminescence enhanced by silver nanoparticles

Mixtures of silver(I) and citrate that are used to produce silver nanoparticles evoke intense chemiluminescence with tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) and cerium(IV), which can be exploited for the determination of citrate ions and other analytes over a wide concentration range.     

Preparation and photoluminescence characteristics of polysiloxane pendant tris(2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium (II) complex

Polysiloxanes containing pendant tris(2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) complex (Ru(bpy)3²⁺) were prepared by reaction of polysiloxane-pendant 2,2′-bipyridine (PSiO-bpy) with cis-Ru(bpy)₂Cl₂. In methanol solution, the polymer pendant Ru(bpy)3²⁺ showed absorption maximum at 456nm and emission maximum at around 609nm, both of which are shifted to longer wavelength than the monomeric Ru(bpy)₃²⁺. The lifetime τ₀ of the excited polymer complex with low Ru(bpy)3²⁺ content was almost the same as that of the monomeric one in methanol (830ns), but τ₀ of the polymer with higher complex content was shorter because of a concentration quenching. In a solid state, τ₀ was much shorter (306–503ns) than that in a methanol solution contrary to the conventional polymeric system. Higher complex content in the polymer film caused higher glass transition temperature (Tg), but shorter τ₀. These results indicate concentration quenching in the polymer film. The excited polymer pendant Ru(bpy)3²⁺ was quenched by oxygen, and the relative emission intensity followed the Stern-Volmer equation. In a methanol solution the quenching rate constant (k_q) was the same order of magnitude as the monomeric complex, and independent of the complex content in the polymer. In a film, k_q was higher for the polymer with higher complex content.     

The photophysical properties of short, linear arrays of ruthenium(II) tris(2,2′-bipyridine) complexes

A series of linear polynuclear ruthenium(II) tris(2,2′-bipyridine) complexes has been synthesized whereby individual chromophores are separated by 1,4-diethynylenebenzene subunits bearing alkoxy groups for improved solubility. These arrays contain two, three, four or five metal centers. The compounds are reasonably soluble in polar organic solvents and they possess optical absorption spectral properties that are dominated by transitions associated with the polytopic ligand. Weak luminescence is observed for each complex in deoxy genated acetonitrile at room temperature that appears to be characteristic of emission from a metal-to-ligand charge-transfer triplet state. The emission lifetime is essentially independent of temperature, at least over a modest range. There is no indication for interaction between close-lying triplet states and no obvious sign of a low-energy τ, τ^* triplet associated with the polytopic ligand. The photophysical properties suggest that the longer arrays are segmented.     

Effective luminescence quenching of tris(2,2-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) by methylviologen on clay by the aid of poly(vinylpyrrolidone)

Electron-transfer quenching of tris(2,2-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) by methylviologen in an aqueous suspension of clay in the presence of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) was investigated. The quenching behavior of the excited tris(2,2-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) on clay by the coadsorbed methylviologen indicated the homogeneous distribution of the adsorbed dyes. The quenching rate was high when the clay with larger particle size was used as the host. The adsorption of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) on clay resulted in the coadsorption of the tris(2,2-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) and methylviologen without segregation.     

Luminescent properties of tris(2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) in sol-gel-processed dip-coated thin films

The luminescence decay and spectral behavior of ruthenium(II)-tris-1,2-bipyridine dichloride dissolved in different organically modified silicate gel matrixes were investigated. Dip-coated thin films were synthesized from tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), methyltriethoxysilane (MTEOS), ethyltriethoxysilane (ETEOS), and methyl- trimethoxysilane (MTMOS). A blue shift in the ruthenium complex emission spectrum with respect to the aqueous solution was observed for all the films on the sol to gel conversion. This spectral shift was slightly dependent on the precursor used to obtain the films and independent of the reaction pH to prepare the "sol". In the data treatment of the time-resolved luminescence measurements, it was assumed that the distribution of the luminophore in the films was nonhomogeneous. The analysis of the luminescence decay profiles was based on a multisite model. All decay curves are best described by a double-exponential model. The parameters of the decay components depended principally on the thermal treatment used in the processing of the films. The lifetimes decreased and the emission espectra showed a red shift with the increase in the drying temperature. A luminescence quenching of the ruthenium complex in the films by dissolved oxygen in aqueous solution was also observed. The quenching rate constant obtained from the preexponential amplitude-weighted mean lifetimes (tau(M)) was in the order of 10(9) M(-1) s(-1). When a phenolic derivative was used as quencher the process rate was greatly reduced compared to the quenching in water. It would seem that the metallic complex sequestered within the film is placed either into a higher microviscosity microenvironment or in a location which the phenolic quencher cannot access. In both cases, the quenching plot based on tau(o)(M)/tau(M) could be fitted satisfactorily by a sum of two terms of Stern-Volmer. This fact is indicative of the matrix microheterogeneity for the films and is fully consistent with the biexponential nature of the luminescence intensity decay profiles.     

Synthesis of a new C60-substituted tris(2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) complex

A new tris(2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) complex substituted with two fullerene subunits has been prepared starting from a fullerene carboxylic acid derivative and a 2,2′-bipyridine ligand bearing two alcohol functions.     

Cantilever tip near-field surface-enhanced Raman imaging of tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II) on silver nanoparticles-coated substrates

The near-field surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and surface-enhanced fluorescence (SEF) images of tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II) adsorbed on a silver nanoparticles-coated substrate were obtained with a scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM, or near-field scanning optical microscopy, NSOM) using a cantilever tip. In comparison with the most widely used fiber tip for SNOM, the cantilever tip has higher optical throughput and better thermal stability, making it more suitable for detecting the extremely low Raman signal in the near-field spectroscopic investigations. Our preliminary results show that the near-field SERS with the higher spatial resolution can provide richer fingerprint information than the far-field SERS. A comparison of the two types of images shows that there are more SERS than SEF hot spots, and the two types of hot spots do not overlap. More surprisingly, the near-field SERS spectra differ from the far-field SERS spectra obtained on the same sample in the band frequency and relative intensities of some major Raman bands, and some IR-active bands were observed with the near-field mode. These results are explained mainly by the electric field gradient effect and heterogeneous polarization character that operate only in the near-field SERS.     

Characterization of the low-oxidation-potential electrogenerated chemiluminescence of tris(2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) with tri-n-propylamine as coreactant

The electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) of the Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ (bpy, 2,2′-bipyridine)/tri-n-propylamine (TPrA) system can be produced at an oxidation-potential well before the oxidation of Ru(bpy)₃²⁺. Here, we describe the unique features of the low-oxidation-potential (LOP) ECL. The LOP ECL exhibited strong dependence on solution pH with the maximum emission at pH  7.7. Compared with the conventional ECL, the LOP ECL was much more significantly diminished at high pH (>10), probably due to the short lifetime of TPrA cation radical which is a crucial intermediate for the LOP emission. It was also found that the preceding deprotonation step played an important role in TPrA oxidation at neutral pH and would remarkably influence the emission intensity. As excess intermediate radicals were produced upon rapid TPrA oxidation, only 5 mM TPrA was needed to achieve the maximum LOP ECL intensity in detecting trace Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ (<1 μM) and the LOP ECL response to Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ concentration was linear. Compared with the conventional Ru(bpy)₃²⁺/TPrA ECL, the LOP ECL technique not only produces higher emission intensity at lower oxidation-potential, but also significantly reduces the amount of the coreactant.     

Picosecond dynamics of nonthermalized excited states in tris(2,2-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) derivatives elucidated by high energy excitation

The picosecond excited-state dynamics of several derivatives have been investigated using high photon energy excitation combined with picosecond luminescence detection. Instrument response-limited fluorescence (tau(1) approximately equal to 3-5 ps) at 500 nm was observed for all of the complexes, while longer-lived emission (tau(2) > 50 ps), similar in energy, was observed for only some of the complexes. Interestingly, the presence of tau(2) required substitution at the 4,4-positions of the bipyridine ligands and D(3) symmetry for the complex; only the 4,4-substituted homoleptic complexes exhibited tau(2). On the basis of previous assignments of the ultrafast dynamics measured for Ru(bpy)(2+)3 and Ru(dmb)(2+)3, tau(2) has been tentatively ascribed to relaxation from higher electronic or vibrational levels in the triplet manifold having slightly more triplet character than the state responsible for tau(1). However, given that the kinetics for these transition metal complexes are highly dependent on both pump and probe wavelengths and that there is considerable interest in utilizing such complexes for electron transfer in the nonergodic limit, further characterization of the state giving rise to tau(2) is warranted.     

Surface enhanced raman and resonance raman spectroscopy in a non-aqueous electrochemical environment: Tris(2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) adsorbed on silver from acetonitrile

This letter reports the first observation of both surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and surface enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) from the transition metal complex tris(2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium (II), Ru(bpy)₃²⁺, adsorbed on a silver electrode from acetonitrile (ACN). The assignment of these spectra as valid examples of SERS and SERRS in a non-aqueous environment is based on the following criteria: (1) in situ demonstration of monolayer surface coverage of Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ using double potential step chronocoulometry (DPSCC); (2) the Raman signals are most intense after surface roughening by anodization; (3) the Raman spectra are potential dependent in the non-faradaic potential region; (4) the measured enhancement factors are greater ilian 10⁶; (5) the surface spectra are frequency shifted relative to their bulk counterpart; and (6) several other molecules also exhibit non-aqueous SERS and SERRS behavior. These results are highly significant in that generality of surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy has been extended into the rich domain of nonaqueous electrochemistry.     

Electrochemical behaviour of dicyanobis(2,2′-bipyridine) ruthenium(II) and dicyanobis(1,10-phenanthroline) ruthenium(II) complexes

The electrochemical behaviour of Ru(bipy)₂(CN)₂ and Ru(phen)₂(CN)₂ (bipy=2,2′-bipyridine; phen=1,10-phenanthroline) has been investigated in dimethylformamide. Both complexes exhibit one oxidation wave and three reduction waves. In the case of Ru(bipy)₂-(CN)₂ the anodic process and the first two cathodic processes involve one electron and are reversible in the time scale of polarographic and cyclic voltammetric experiments. The third reduction step is irreversible and has been attributed to the addition of three electrons to Ru(bipy)₂(CN)₂ followed by liberation of one or more ligands and reduction of liberated bipyridine. The features of the redox processes for the Ru(phen)₂(CN)₂ are similar to those found for the bipy complex except for the first reduction wave, which is complicated by adsorption phenomena. A qualitative MO discussion of the redox processes is also reported.     

A novel tris(2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium(II)/tripropylamine cathodic electrochemiluminescence in acetonitrile for the indirect determination of hydrogen peroxide

A novel tris(2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) (Ru(bpy)₃²⁺) cathodic electrochemiluminescence (ECL) was generated at −0.78 V at the Pt electrode in acetonitrile (ACN), which suggested that the cathodic ECL differed from conventional cathodic ECL. It was found that tripropylamine (TPrA) could enhance this cathodic ECL and the linear range (log-log plot) was 0.2 μM-0.2 mM. In addition, hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) could inhibit the cathodic ECL and was indirectly detected with the linear range of 27-540 μM. The RSD (n = 12) of the ECL intensity in the presence of 135 μM H₂O₂ was 0.87%. This method was also demonstrated for the fast determination of H₂O₂ in disinfectant sample and satisfactory results were obtained.     

Electrochemical behaviour of tris (2,2′-bipyridine) osmium(II) complex in dimethylformamide

The electrochemical behaviour of Os(bpy)₃²⁺ (bpy=2,2′-bipyridine) has been investigated in N,N-dimethylformamide by utilizing predominantly the techniques of polarography and cyclic voltammetry. The study has been carried out at different temperatures in the range ?20 to +30° C. The number of reduction waves observed depends markedly on temperature. For intermediate temperatures, the complex exhibits six reduction waves, the maximum number of waves observed as a function of temperature.The first three reduction processes, corresponding to the first three reduction waves, are one-electron, diffusion-controlled reversible processes in all conditions. Conversely, process four is consistent with one-electron reversible transfer only at the lowest temperature. In fact, for higher temperatures the liberation of bpy, preferentially as a radical anion rather than a neutral molecule, occurs. In the latter case, the liberated neutral bpy molecule can be reduced by one-electron transfer. Process five is due to the reduction of species formed by chemical reaction in the preceding electrode process, i.e. the bpy radical anion and Os(bpy)₂^1?. Process six is consistent with the addition of five electrons to the starting complex, followed by the liberation and successive reduction of the bpy radical anion.