Absorption spectra, photophysical properties, and redox behavior of ruthenium(II) polypyridine complexes containing accessory dipyrromethene-BF2 chromophores

The six multichromophoric species 1-6, containing the potentially luminescent Ru(II) polypyridine subunits and 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene fluorophores (dipyrromethene-BF(2) dyes, herein after called bodipy), have been prepared and their absorption spectra, luminescence properties (both at room temperature in fluid solution and at 77 K in rigid matrix), and redox properties have been investigated (for the structuralformulas of all the compounds, see Figure 1). For comparison purposes, also the same properties of the bodipy-based free ligands have been examined. Three of the multichromophoric species (1-3) are based on the Ru(bpy)(3)-type metal subunit, whereas 4-6 are based on the Ru(terpy)(2)-type metal subunit. Transient absorption spectroscopy at room temperature of all the compounds has also been performed. The absorption spectra of all the metal complexes show features that can be assigned to the Ru(II) polypyridine subunits and to the bodipy centers. In particular, the lowest energy spin-allowed pi-pi* transition of the bodipy groups dominates the visible region, peaking at about 530 nm. All the new complexes exhibit a rich redox behavior, with reversible processes attributed to specific sites, indicating a small perturbation of each redox center and therefore highlighting the supramolecular nature of the multichromophoric assemblies. Despite the good luminescence properties of the separated components, 1-6 do not exhibit any luminescence at room temperature; however, transient absorption spectroscopy evidences that for all of them a long-lived (microsecond time scale) excited state is formed, which is identified as the bodipy-based triplet state. Pump-probe transient absorption spectroscopy suggests that such a triplet state is formed from the promptly prepared bodipy-based (1)pi-pi* state in most cases by the intervention of a charge-separated level. At 77 K, all the complexes except complex 1 exhibit the bodipy-based fluorescence, although with a slightly shortened lifetime compared to the corresponding free ligand(s), and 4-6 also exhibit a phosphorescence assigned to the bodipy subunits. Phosphorescence of bodipy species had never been reported in the literature to the best of our knowledge: in the present cases we propose that it is an effective decay process thanks to the presence of the ruthenium heavy atom and of the closely lying (3)MLCT state of the Ru(terpy)(2)-type subunits.     

Photoinduced energy transfer processes within dyads of metallophthalocyanines compactly fused to a ruthenium(II) polypyridine chromophore

An unsymmetric, peripherally octasubstituted phthalocyanine (Pc) 1, which contains a combination of dipyrido[3,2-f:2',3'-h] quinoxaline and 3,5-di-tert-butylphenoxy substituents, has been obtained via a statistical condensation reaction of two corresponding phthalonitriles. Synthetic procedures for the selective metalation of the macrocyclic cavity and the periphery of 1 were developed, leading to the preparation of the key precursor metallophthalocyanines 3-5 in good yields. Two different strategies were applied to the synthesis of compact dyads MPc-Ru(II) 6-8 (M = Mg(II), Co(II), Zn(II)). Intramolecular electronic interactions in these dyads were studied by absorption, emission, and transient absorption spectroscopy. Upon photoexcitation, these dyads exhibit efficient intramolecular energy transfer from the Ru(II) chromophore to the MPc moiety.     

Photochromic dihetarylethenes. 10. Photochromic 1,2-bis[2-(benzothiazol-2-yl)-3-thienyl]- and 1,2-bis[2-(benzothiazol-2-yl)benzothiophen-3-yl]ethenes

Dithienylethenes containing the thiophene rings with benzothiazolyl substituents in position 2 were synthesized. 1,2-Bis[2-(benzothiazol-2-yl)benzothiophen-3-yl]hexafluorocyclopentene and 1,2-bis[2,5-di(benzothiazol-2-yl)-3-thienyl]hexafluorocyclopentene possess photochromic properties. The open forms of 1,2-bis(2-benzothiazolylhetaryl)ethenes fluoresce, but introduction of the benzothiazole rings into dihetarylethenes significantly lowers the fatigue resistance of photochromes and favors thermal reversibility.     

Luminescent ruthenium(II) polypyridine biotin complexes: synthesis, characterization, photophysical and electrochemical properties, and avidin-binding studies

Two luminescent ruthenium(II) polypyridine complexes containing a biotin moiety [Ru(bpy)(2)(L1)](PF(6))(2) (1) and [Ru(bpy)(2)(L2)](PF(6))(2) (2) (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine; L1 = 4-(N-((2-biotinamido)ethyl)amido)-4'-methyl-2,2'-bipyridine; L2 = 4-(N-((6-biotinamido)hexyl)amido)-4'-methyl-2,2'-bipyridine) have been synthesized and characterized, and their photophysical and electrochemical properties have been studied. Upon photoexcitation, complexes 1 and 2 display intense and long-lived triplet metal-to-ligand charge-transfer ((3)MLCT) (dpi(Ru) --> pi*(L1 or L2)) emission in fluid solutions at 298 K and in low-temperature glass. We have studied the binding of these ruthenium(II) biotin complexes to avidin by 4'-hydroxyazobenzene-2-carboxylic acid (HABA) assays, luminescence titrations, competitive assays using native biotin, and quenching experiments using methyl viologen. On the basis of the results of these experiments, a homogeneous competitive assay for biotin has been investigated.     

Crystal structure-reactivity correlation in single-crystalline photochromism of 1,2-bis(2-methyl-5-phenyl-3-thienyl)perfluorocyclopentene

Single-crystalline photochromism of 1,2-bis(2-methyl-5-phenyl-3-thienyl)perfluorocyclopentene 1a was followed in situ by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The crystal of 1a has two molecules with different conformations in the crystallographic asymmetric unit. The X-ray analysis of the photoirradiated crystal showed that the photocyclization reaction of the molecule with the shorter distance between the reactive carbons prevails over the reaction of the other molecule. The mechanism has been discussed based on the calculation of the electronic transitions of the two molecules in the different conformations. The photocyclization quantum yield was determined to be 1 (100%) in the crystal.     

Synthesis, electrochemical, and photophysical studies of multicomponent systems based on porphyrin and ruthenium(II) polypyridine complexes

Two ruthenium tris-bipyridine functionalized porphyrins 4, 8 and their Zn derivatives 4-Zn, 8-Zn were designed, synthesized, and characterized. The redox potentials of these complexes as well as their corresponding monomeric reference porphyrin and ruthenium bipyridine complexes were also measured for comparison. Primary dynamic studies on the electron injection and backing recombination between these complexes and TiO₂ nanoparticles were carried out by means of transient absorption spectroscopy. The results indicate that a long-lived charge separation state was obtained in these assemblies.     

Thermal decomposition product of 1,2-bis(2-methyl-1-benzofuran-3-yl)perfluorocyclopentene

1,2-Bis(2-methyl-1-benzofuran-3-yl)perfluorocyclopentene shows photochromism in n-hexane at room temperature. We have identified a new compound produced by the thermal decomposition in a mixture of cis- and trans-decahydronaphthalene above 100?°C in the absence of light.     

Coupling of metal-based light-harvesting antennas and electron-donor subunits: trinuclear ruthenium(II) complexes containing tetrathiafulvalene-substituted polypyridine ligands

Three new tetrathiafulvalene-substituted 2,2'-bipyridine ligands, cis-bpy-TTF(1), trans-bpy-TTF(1), and cis-bpy-TTF(2) have been prepared and characterized. X-ray analysis of trans-bpy-TTF(1) is also reported. Such ligands have been used to prepare two new trinuclear Ru(II) complexes, namely, [[(bpy)(2)Ru(micro-2,3-dpp)](2)Ru(bpy-TTF(1))](PF(6))(6) (9; bpy=2,2'-bipyridine; 2,3-dpp=2,3-bis(2'-pyridyl)pyrazine) and [[(bpy)(2)Ru(micro-2,3-dpp)](2)Ru(bpy-TTF(2))](PF(6))(6) (10). These compounds can be viewed as coupled antennas and charge-separation systems, in which the multichromophoric trinuclear metal subunits act as light-harvesting antennas and the tetrathiafulvalene electron donors can induce charge separation. The absorption spectra, redox behavior, and luminescence properties (both at room temperature in acetonitrile and at 77 K in a rigid matrix of butyronitrile) of the trinuclear metal complexes have been studied. For the sake of completeness, the mononuclear compounds [(bpy)(2)Ru(bpy-TTF(1))](PF(6))(2) (7) and [(bpy)(2)Ru(bpy-TTF(2))](PF(6))(2) (8) were also synthesized and studied. The properties of the tetrathiafulvalene-containing species were compared to those of the model compounds [Ru(bpy)(2)(4,4'-Mebpy)](2+) (4,4'-Mebpy=4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine) and [[(bpy)(2)Ru(micro-2,3-dpp)](2)Ru(bpy)](6+). The absorption spectra and redox behavior of all the new metal compounds can be interpreted by a multicomponent approach, in which specific absorption features and redox processes can be assigned to specific subunits of the structures. The luminescence properties of the complexes in rigid matrices at 77 K are very similar to those of the corresponding model compounds without TTF moieties, whereas the new species are nonluminescent, or exhibit very weak emissions relative to those of the model compounds in fluid solution at room temperature. Time-resolved transient absorption spectroscopy confirmed that the potentially luminescent MLCT states of 7-10 are significantly shorter lived than the corresponding states of the model species. Photoinduced electron-transfer processes from the TTF moieties to the (excited) MLCT chromophore(s) are held responsible for the quenching processes.     

Synthesis and electrical conductivity of polymers containing trans-1,2-bis(9-carbazolyl)cyclobutane units

Novel poly-Schiff bases (PSB's) that contain trans-1,2-bis(9-carbazolyl)cyclobutane(DCZB) units were synthesized by the direct polycondensation of trans-1,2-bis(3-formyl-9-carbazolyl)cyclobutane with aromatic diamines in n-amyl alcohol at 160°C. Complexation of these PSB's and of poly(vinyl DCZB) (PVDCZB) with iodine produced cation-radical salts which resulted form the transfer of an electron from DCZB moieties to iodine. All the undoped polymers were insulators having electrical conductivity of the order of 10^?10–10^?12 S cm^?1 depending on the structure of polymers. By doping with iodine, the electrical conductivity increased by several orders of magnitude and reached a value of 10^?3 S cm^?1 in the case of PVDCZB and 10^?5–10^?6 S cm^?1 in the case of PSB's. The electrical conductivity of doped PSB's increased with decreasing diamine length. PVDCZB having the same iodine content per carbazole unit as poly(9-vinyl-carbazole) (PVK) has a greater electrical conductivity than PVK.     

Mono-, di-, and tetranuclear ruthenium(II) complexes containing 3-(pyridin-2-yl)-as-triazino[5,6-f]1,10-phenanthroline: synthesis, characterization, and electrochemical and photophysical properties

Mono-, di-, and tetranuclear Ru(II) polypyridine complexes based on the bridging ligand pdtp, where pdtp is 3-(pyridin-2-yl)-as-triazino[5,6-f]1,10-phenanthroline, have been synthesized and characterizated. This asymmetric bridging ligand is composed of two nonequivalent coordinating sites: one involves the phenanthroline moiety, and the other one involves the pyridyltriazine moiety. Electrochemical data show that the first redox process in these complexes is pdtp based and the metal-metal interaction in di- and tetranuclear complexes is very weak. The two oxidations (+1.41 and +1.56 V vs SCE) observed in dinuclear complex 2 are mainly ascribed to the different coordination environments of two metal centers. Absorption spectra are essentially the sum of the spectra of the component monometallic species. The emission spectra are measured both at room temperature and at 80 K in a 4:1 (v/v) EtOH/MeOH matrix. The complexes all display luminescence properties which are close to that featured by the parent [Ru(phen)(3)](2+) species. It is also noted that center-to-periphery energy transfer occurs in the dendritic tetranuclear complex 3.     

Synthesis,structures and properties of copper(II) and zinc(II) complexes with 1,2-bis(benzimidazol-2-yl)ethane ligands

Transition Metal Chemistry - 1,2-Bis(benzimidazol-2-yl)ethane (bbe) and its transition metal complexes, [Cu(bbe)Cl2]·DMF (1) and [Zn(bbe)Cl2]2(2), have been synthesized and characterized by...     

Physical, photophysical and structural properties of ruthenium(II) complexes containing a tetradentate bipyridine ligand

The focus of this report is the synthesis and properties of two new analogues of ruthenium(ii) tris-bipyridine, a monomer and dimer. The complexes contain the ligand 6,6'-(ethan-1,2-diyl)bis-2,2'-bipyridine (O-bpy) which contains two bipyridine units bridged in the 6,6' positions by an ethylene bridge. Crystal structures of the two complexes formulated as [Ru(bpy)(O-bpy)](PF6)2 and [(Ru(bpy)2)2(O-bpy)](PF6)4 reveal structures of lower symmetry than D3 which affects the electronic properties of the complexes as substantiated by density functional theory (DFT) and time dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations. The HOMO lies largely on the ruthenium center; the LUMO spreads its electron density over the bipyridine units, but not equally in the mixed O-bpy-bpy complexes. Calculated Vis/UV spectra using TDDFT methods agree with experimental spectra. The lowest lying triplet excited state for [Ru(bpy)(O-bpy)](PF6)2 is 3MC resulting in a low emission quantum yield and a large chloride ion photosubstitution quantum yield.     

Electrochemical and photophysical properties of DNA metallo-intercalators containing the ruthenium(II) tris(1-pyrazolyl)methane unit

Three new ruthenium(II) complexes containing the tris(1-pyrazolyl)methane (tpm) ligand have been prepared: [Ru(tpm)(L)(dppn)]n+ (where n = 1; L = Cl (5), n = 2; L = MeCN (6) and pyridine (7); dppn = benzo[i]dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine). Complex 6 was structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Binding parameters of these complexes with calf thymus DNA are reported and compared to those obtained for a previously reported monocation, [RuCl(tpm)(dppz)]+. Binding studies with the dications and the synthetic oligonucleotides poly(dA).poly(dT) and poly(dG).poly(dC) have also been determined. Photophysical and electrochemical properties of 5-7 have been investigated and compared with their dipyridophenazine (dppz) analogues.     

Theoretical understanding of ruthenium(II) based fluoride sensor derived from 4,5-bis(benzimidazol-2-yl)imidazole (H3ImBzim) and bipyridine: electronic structure and binding nature

Using density functional theory (DFT) approach, we assessed the newly developed fluoride sensor: [(bpy)(2)Ru(H(3)ImBzim)](2+) (denoted as 1, where H(3)ImBzim = 4,5-bis(benzimidazol-2-yl)imidazole and byp = 2,2'-bipyridine). On the basis of our benchmark test, a PBE0 functional with a LanL2DZ basis set was chosen to explore the electronic structure of 1 in both ground and singlet excited states in acetonitrile solution. Both absorption bands at 426 and 352 nm are assigned as metal-to-ligand charge-transfer transition characters. By analyzing the difference of absorption spectrum between the binding adducts and the experimental measurement, the fluoride detection process was found to be driven by the proton transfer model, which makes 1 not only capable of detecting fluoride, but also for other B?nster base anions. And the result is in general accordance with the experimental observations. We hope the current exploration can give some knowledge about the detection mechanism of the F(-) anion sensor and provide some inspiration for the design of functional molecular detectors for F(-) anion.     

Copper(II) complexes of a series of polypyridine ligands possessing a 1,2-bis(2-pyridyl)ethane common moiety: incorporation and hydrolysis of phosphate esters

Two tetradentate ligands 1,2-bis[2-((dimethylamino)methyl)-6-pyridyl]ethane (L1) and 1,2-bis[2-(N-piperidinomethyl)-6-pyridyl]ethane (L2) and a hexadentate ligand 1,2-bis(2-((methyl(pyridylmethyl)amino)methyl)-6-pyridyl)ethane (L3) were prepared as part of a series of new polypyridine ligands possessing a 1,2-bis(2-pyridyl)ethane common moiety. L1 and L2 form mononuclear Cu(II) complexes [Cu(L)(Cl)](ClO4) [L = L1 (1) and L2 (2)], respectively. L3 forms a dinuclear Cu(II) complex [Cu2(L3)((PhO)2PO2)2](ClO4)2 (3) or a hexanuclear Cu(II) complex [Cu6(L3)3((PhO)PO3)4](ClO4)4 (4) in the presence of (PhO)2PO2- monoanion or (PhO)PO3(2-) dianion, respectively. The structures of 1-4 were determined by X-ray analysis. The structures in solution were investigated by means of FAB and CSI MS spectrometers. The structural flexibility of the common 1,2-bis(2-pyridyl)ethane moiety and of the pendant groups allows complexes 1-4 to adapt to the various structures. Each Cu ion in 1 and 2 adopts a square pyramidal geometry with one Cl ion and two pendant groups (L1 and L2) binding in a bis-bidentate chelate mode. There is no steric repulsion between the pendant groups, so that the ligands specifically stabilize the mononuclear structures. L3 binds two Cu(II) ions with two pendant groups in tridentate chelate modes and, with the incorporation of phosphate esters, various dinuclear units are formed in 3 and 4. In 4, a dinuclear unit of [Cu2(L3)]4+ links two dinuclear units of [Cu2(L3)(PhOPO3)2] with four (mu3)-1,3-PhOPO3(2-) bridges. The hydrolytic activity of 2 and a dicopper(II) complex of L3 was examined with tris(p-nitrophenyl) phosphate (TNP) as a substrate.