Effect of the Addition of a Fused Donor-Acceptor Ligand on a Ru(II) Complex: Synthesis, Characterization, and Photoinduced Electron Transfer Reactions of Ru(TTF-dppz)(2)(Aqphen) (2+)

The synthesis and the photophysical properties of the complex [Ru(TTF-dppz)(2)(Aqphen)](2+) (TTF = tetrathiafulvalene, dppz = dipyrido-[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine, Aqphen = anthraquinone fused to phenanthroline via a pyrazine bridge) are described. In this molecular triad excitation into the metal ligand charge transfer bands results in the creation of a long-lived charge separated state with TTF acting as electron donor and anthraquinone as terminal acceptor. The lifetime of the charge-separated state is 400 ns in dichloromethane at room temperature. A mechanism for the charge separation involving an intermediate charge-separated state is proposed based on transient absorption spectroscopy.