Singlet-Oxygen (1Δg) Production by Ruthenium(II) complexes containing polyazaheterocyclic ligands in methanol and in water

In the context of our studies on ruthenium(II) complexes containing polyazaheterocyclic ligands, we have determined the rate constants of quenching by molecular oxygen (k_q) of the metal-to-ligand charge-transfer-excited state of a series of homoleptic RuL₃] complexes (where L stands for 2,2′-bipyridine (bpy), 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), 2,2′-bipyrazine (bpz), 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (dip), diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline-4,7-disulfonate (dpds), and 1, 10-phenanthroline-5-octadecanamide (poda)) in H₂O and in MeOH. These compounds are singlet-oxygen (O₂(¹Δ_g)) sensitizers, and quantum yields of singlet-oxygen production (Ψ_Δ) in both solvents are also reported. Values of k_q and Ψ_Δ depend on the nature of the ligand L and on the solvent, Ψ_Δ values showing a large range of variation (0.2 to 1.0). In MeOH, the only pathway for quenching of the excited RuL₃] complexes by molecular oxygen is energy transfer: the fraction of quenched excited states yielding singlet oxygen (?) is unity for all compounds in the series investigated. Changing from MeOH to H₂O has several remarkable effects: higher k_q and lower Ψ_Δ values are observed; ? drops to ca. 0.5 except for Ru(bpz)₃]²⁺. In fact, Ru(bpz)₃]²⁺ is by far the weakest reductant in the series and behaves differently from the other complexes, with lowest k_q and Ψ_Δ values and a ? equal to 1 in both solvents. Results are interpreted on the basis of the role played by charge-transfer interactions between the sensitizer excited state and molecular oxygen in the quenching mechanism. Ru^II Complexes based on the 4,7-diphenyl-1, 10-phenanthroline (dip) ligand are very efficient and stable singlet-oxygen sensitizers with Ψ_Δ values close to unity in air-saturated MeOH.