In view of preparing Cu polynuclear complexes with dipyrromethene ligands, the mononuclear complexes [Cu(II)(dipy)2] (dipyH = 5-phenyldipyrromethene) and [Cu(II)(dpdipy)2] (dpdipyH = 1,5,9-triphenyldipyrromethene) have been prepared and characterized by X-ray crystallography, mass spectrometry and EPR spectroscopy. Their peculiar redox and spectroscopic (absorption/emission) behaviours are discussed. In contrast to Cu(II) complexes of 1,1'-bidypyrrin, the reduction electrolysis of [Cu(II)(dpdipy)2] leads to decomposition products on a time scale of a few hours. Moreover in relation to this observation, [Cu(I)(dpdipy)2](-) could not be synthesized in spite of the Cu(I) core protection by the phenyl substituents in ortho position of the nitrogen atoms. Theoretical calculations provide some explanations for this instability. Interestingly [Cu(II)(dipy)2] and [Cu(II)(dpdipy)2] display weak luminescence at room temperature, attributed to a ligand centered emission.

Novel polynuclear compounds, the trinuclear precursor complex cis-{[(phen)(2)Ru(PHEHAT)](2)Ru(CH(3)CN)(2)}(6+) 4 and the trinuclear TPAC (tetrapyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c:3'',2'-h:2''',3'''-j]acridine) complex {[(phen)(2)Ru(PHEHAT)](2)Ru(TPAC)}(6+) 5 have been prepared. Their electrochemistry and photophysics indicate that the (3)MLCT (metal to ligand charge transfer) emissions involve the external {Ru(PHEHAT)} moieties for both complexes and there is no spectro-electrochemical correlation. The trinuclear dendron with the TPAC ligand represents a key compound for future constructions of much larger species thanks to the TPAC that could bridge another polynuclear precursor. For decreasing the length of preparation of these compounds, microwave assisted syntheses have been tested and used not only for the targeted complexes but also for the precursors ((phen)(2)RuCl(2), {(phen)(2)Ru(phendione)}(2+), {(phen)(2)Ru(PHEHAT)}(2+) (PHEHAT = 1,10-phenanthrolino[5,6-b]1,4,5,8,9,12-hexaazatriphenylene), (DMSO)(4)RuCl(2)), and for the bridging TPAC ligand itself. The microwave method allows a drastic decrease of the preparation times, especially in the case of the TPAC, from 8 days to 60 min.