A series
of biruthenium complexes linked by oligothiophene bridges
of variable lengths (4a–4d) have
been prepared to probe intramolecular electronic delocalization as
a function of the chain length of the bridging ligand. In going from
monothiophene to quaterthiophene-bridged biruthenium-vinyl complex
radical cations (4a
+–4d
+), the transition from a positive charge delocalized
state to a localized state is clearly displayed by IR spectroscopy
and density functional theory calculations and the bridge contributing
to the charge and the unpaired spin density exhibits good linear correlation
with the length of the bridging chain. The shortest member 4a
+
displays a charge delocalized mixed-valence
property as a result of the strong electronic coupling between two
ruthenium termini. In the longest member 4d
+
, the charge is nearly fully localized at the bridge
and the mixed-valence property disappears. Therefore, for even longer
systems, the charge should be exclusively localized on the bridge.
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