The synthesis and characterization of the donor-acceptor substituted cyclometalated ruthenium(II) polypyridine complex isomers [Ru(dpb-NHCOMe)(tpy-COOEt)](PF6) 1(PF6) and [Ru(dpb-COOEt)(tpy-NHCOMe)](PF6) 2(PF6) (dpbH = 1,3-dipyridin-2-ylbenzene, tpy = 2,2';6,2"-terpyridine) with inverted functional group pattern are described. A combination of resonance Raman spectroscopic and computational techniques shows that all intense visible range absorption bands arise from mixed Ru → tpy/Ru → dpb metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) excitations. 2(PF6) is weakly phosphorescent at room temperature in fluid solution and strongly emissive at 77 K in solid butyronitrile matrix, which is typical for ruthenium(II) polypyridine complexes. Density functional theory calculations revealed that the weak emission of 2(PF6) arises from a (3)MLCT state that is efficiently thermally depopulated via metal-centered ((3)MC) excited states. The activation barrier for the deactivation process was estimated experimentally from variable-temperature emission spectroscopic measurements as 11 kJ mol(-1). In contrast, 1(PF6) is nonemissive at room temperature in fluid solution and at 77 K in solid butyronitrile matrix. Examination of the electronic excited states of 1(PF6) revealed a ligand-to-ligand charge-transfer ((3)LL'CT) as lowest-energy triplet state due to the very strong push-pull effect across the metal center. Because of the orthogonality of the participating ligands, emission from the (3)LL'CT is symmetry-forbidden. Hence, in this type of complex a stronger push-pull effect does not increase the phosphorescence quantum yields but completely quenches the emission.

We report the synthesis and full characterization of dinuclear complexes with the bridging ligand phenanthroline-5,6-dithiolate (phendt(2-)) featuring the [Ru(bpy)2](2+) or Ir(ppy)2](+) fragment at the diimine donor center and the [Ni(dppe)](2+) or [Pt(phen)](2+) complex moiety at the dithiolate group. The molecular structures of the mononuclear complexes [(C5H5)2Ti(S,S'-phendt)] and [(ppy)2Ir{N,N'-phendt-(C2H4CN)2}](PF6) as well as the dinuclear complex [(C5H5)(PPh3)Ru(phendt)Ni(dppe)](PF6) determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies are compared. Photophysical studies with mononuclear [(bpy)2Ru{phendt-(C2H4CN)2}](2+) and [(ppy)2Ir{phendt-(C2H4CN)2}](+) as well as dinuclear [(bpy)2Ru(phendt)Ni(dppe)](2+) and [(ppy)2Ir(phendt)Ni(dppe)](+) uncovered an effective luminescence quenching in the dinuclear complexes. Lifetime measurements at room temperature, steady-state measurements at low temperature, electrochemical investigations, and DFT calculations provide evidence for a very efficient energy transfer from the Ru/Ir to the Ni complex moiety with a rate constant k > 5 × 10(9) s(-1). In comparison, the [Ru]phendt[Ni] complex displays a higher quenching efficiency with reduced excited state lifetime, whereas the [Ir]phendt[Ni] complex is characterized by an unaltered lifetime of the thermally equilibrated excited state.

We report herein the preparation and characterization of dinuclear complexes with the bridging ligand 1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-dithiolate (phendt) bearing Ru(bpy) or Ir(ppy) at the diimine moiety and Ni(dppe), Ni(dppf), CoCp, RhCp*, and Ru( p-Me-Pr-benzene) at the dithiolate unit. In comparison with the mononuclear precursors used in the synthesis, all dinuclear complexes were characterized by absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy as well as cyclic voltammetry. Because of the beneficial spectral and electrochemical properties of the Ir/Co complex for a light-driven charge separation, this complex was investigated in detail by time-resolved luminescence {nanosecond (ns)-resolution} and transient absorption spectroscopy {femtosecond (fs)-resolution}. All measurements supported by DFT calculations show that the observed effective luminescence quenching by the dithiolate coordinated metal is caused by an ultrafast singlet-singlet Dexter energy transfer.

We report the synthesis and the spectroscopic and electrochemical properties of six mononuclear iridium(iii) and ruthenium(ii) complexes bearing S,S'-extended phenanthroline ligands. Starting from 5,6-dibromide-1,10-phenanthroline, the dithiine derivatives N,N'-1,10-phenanthrolinedithiino[2,3-b]quinoxaline and N,N'-1,10-phenanthrolinedithiino[2,3-b]benzene were prepared by primary N,N'-complexation of the dibromo derivative and subsequent nucleophilic substitution at the complex. The photoluminescence of the phenanthroline-dithiine containing complexes shows distinctively increased lifetimes for all Ir(iii) and Ru(ii) complexes. The activity of the series of Ir(iii) and Ru(ii) complexes as photosensitizers in visible-light photocatalytic water reduction is demonstrated by dihydrogen evolution with a [Fe3(CO)12] catalyst and triethylamine as a sacrificial donor.