Akitaka Ito

(Ru(bpy) 3 ) 2+ * and other remarkable metal-to- ligand charge transfer (MLCT) excited states*

In 1974, the metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) excited state, [Ru(bpy)3]2+*, was shown to undergo electron transfer quenching by methylviologen dication (MV2+), inspiring a new approach to artificial photosynthesis based on molecules, molecular-level phenomena, and a “modular approach”. In the intervening years, application of synthesis, excited-state measurements, and theory to [Ru(bpy)3]2+* and its relatives has had an outsized impact on photochemistry and photophysics. They have provided a basis for exploring the energy gap law for nonradiative decay and the role of molecular vibrations and solvent and medium effects on excited-state properties. Much has been learned about light absorption, excited-state electronic and molecular structure, and excited-state dynamics on timescales from femtoseconds to milliseconds. Excited-state properties and reactivity have been exploited in the investigation of electron and energy transfer in solution, in molecular assemblies, and in derivatized polymers and oligoprolines. An integrated, hybrid approach to solar fuels, based on dye-sensitized photoelectrosynthesis cells (DSPECs), has emerged and is being actively investigated.

The First Octahedral Cluster Complexes With Terminal Formate Ligands : Synthesis, Structure, and Properties of K4[Re6S8(HCOO)6] and Cs4[Re6S8(HCOO)6]

The hexarhenium anionic cluster complex with terminal formate ligands [Re6S8(HCOO)6]4- was obtained by the room-temperature reaction between [Re6S8(OH)6]4- and formic acid in an aqueous solution. The cluster was crystallized as a potassium or cesium salt and characterized by X-ray single-crystal diffraction and elemental analyses, IR, 1H NMR, UV/vis, and luminescence spectroscopies. In particular, the emission quantum yield of the potassium salt of the Re6 cluster anion in the solid phase was determined for the first time. The electronic structures of [Re6S8(HCOO)6]4- and [Re6S8(OH)6]4- were also elucidated by DFT calculations.

Extremely Large Dipole Moment in the Excited Singlet State of Tris{[p-(N,N-dimethylamino)phenylethynyl]duryl}borane

Solvent effects on the spectroscopic and photophysical properties of tris{[p-(N,N-dimethylamino)phenylethynyl]duryl}borane (TMAB) and tris[(phenylethynyl)duryl]borane (TPhB) were studied in detail. Both TMAB and TPhB exhibited broad and structureless absorption and fluorescence bands ascribed to the charge transfer (CT) transition between the pi-orbital of the aryl group (pi(aryl)) and the vacant p-orbital on the boron atom (p(B)): pi(aryl)-p(B) CT. The fluorescence spectra of TMAB and TPhB were dependent on a solvent polarity, and the Stokes shifts of the compounds (Deltanu(S)) were shown to correlate linearly with a solvent polarity parameter: f(X) = (D(s) - 1)/(2D(s) + 1) - (n(2) - 1)/(2n(2) + 1) where D(s) and n are the dielectric constant and refractive index of a solvent, respectively. The slope value of the Deltanu(S) versus f(X) plot gave the excited singlet state dipole moment of TMAB or TPhB to be approximately 60 or approximately 30 D, respectively, demonstrating that the excited singlet state of TMAB possessed an extremely large dipole moment. The fluorescence quantum yields (Phi(f)) and lifetimes (tau(f)) of the compounds were also dependent on f(X). Detailed analysis of the present results demonstrated that the photophysical properties of TMAB were governed by the magnitude of the fluorescence rate constant (k(f)) and the k(f) value decreased almost one-tenth with an increase in f(X), which was the primary origin of the f(X) dependences of Phi(f) and tau(f). The results were discussed in terms of the characteristic pi(aryl)-p(B) CT excited states of the derivatives.

Synthetic Tuning of Redox, Spectroscopic, and Photophysical Properties of {Mo6I8}4+ Core Cluster Complexes by Terminal Carboxylate Ligands

The reactions between the tetra-n-butylammonium salt of [{Mo6I8}I6](2-) and silver carboxylates RCOOAg (R = CH3 (1), C(CH3)3 (2), α-C4H3O (3), C6H5 (4), α-C10H7 (5), or C2F5 (6)) in CH2Cl2 afforded new carboxylate complexes [{Mo6I8}(RCOO)6](2-). The complexes were characterized by X-ray single-crystal diffraction and elemental analysis, cyclic/differential pulse voltammetry, and IR, NMR, and UV-visible spectroscopies. The emission properties of the complexes 1-6, and those of the earlier reported complexes with R = CF3 (7) and n-C3F7 (8), were studied both in acetonitrile solution and in the solid state. In deaerated CH3CN at 298 K, all of the complexes 1-8 exhibit intense and long-lived emission with the quantum yield and lifetime being 0.48-0.73 and 283-359 μs, respectively. The oxidation (Eox)/reduction (Ered) potentials of the complexes correlate linearly with the pKa value of the terminal carboxylate ligands L = RCOO (pKa(L)). Reflecting the pKa(L) dependences of Eox/Ered, the emission energy (νem) of the complexes was also shown to correlate with pKa(L). The present study successfully demonstrates synthetic tuning of the redox, spectroscopic, and photophysical characteristics of a {Mo6I8}(4+)-based cluster complex with pKa(L).

Photophysical and photoredox characteristics of a novel tricarbonyl rhenium(I) complex having an arylborane-appended aromatic diimine ligand.

We report the synthesis and photophysical/photoredox characteristics of a novel tricarbonyl rhenium(I) complex having a (dimesityl)boryldurylethynyl (DBDE) group at the 4-position of a 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) ligand, [Re(CO)(3)(4-DBDE-phen)Br] (ReB). ReB in tetrahydrofuran at 298 K showed the metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) emission at around 681 nm with the lifetime (τ(em)) of 900 ns. The relatively long emission lifetime of ReB compared with that of [Re(CO)(3)(phen)Br] (RePhen, τ(em) = 390 ns) was discussed on the basis of the temperature dependent τ(em) and Franck-Condon analysis of the emission spectra of the two complexes. Emission quenching studies of both ReB and RePhen by a series of electron donors revealed that the photoinduced electron transfer (PET) quenching rate constant of ReB was faster than that of RePhen at a given Gibbs free energy change of the PET reaction (ΔG(ET)(0) > -0.5 eV). All of the results on ReB were discussed in terms of the contribution of the CT interaction between the π-orbital(s) of the aryl group(s) and the vacant p-orbital on the boron atom in DBDE to the MLCT state of the complex.

Rapid energy transfer in non-porous metal-organic frameworks with caged Ru(bpy)32+ chromophores: Oxygen trapping and luminescence quenching

Two non-porous metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with caged Ru(bpy)32+ chromophores, [Ru(bpy)3][Zn2(C2O4)3] (1) and [Ru(bpy)3][NaAl(C2O4)3] (2), were synthesized and characterized. Their emission properties were studied by both steady-state and time-resolved luminescence measurements. Air-free microcrystals of 1 and 2 exhibit long-lived triplet metal-to-ligand charge transfer (3MLCT) excited states with lifetimes of 760 and 1305 ns, respectively. Lifetimes are significantly shortened (to 92 ns for 1 and 144 ns for 2) by trapping of trace amounts of oxygen in the non-porous MOFs, presumably due to amplified luminescence quenching of Ru(bpy)32+*. Following MLCT excitation, Ru(bpy)32+*/Ru(bpy)32+ energy transfer migration in 1 and 2 results in efficient quenching of Ru(bpy)32+* by Os(bpy)32+ added as an energy transfer trap at doping levels of 0.2–1.0%. A kinetic analysis indicates that the three-dimensional chromophore connectivity in 1 and 2 provides a network for rapid excited state energy transfer migration among Ru(bpy)32+ units, ultimately, finding an Os(bpy)32+ trap site. These crystalline frameworks with caged chromophores have proven to be ideal systems for studying light harvesting processes in artificial supramolecular systems.

Long-lived and temperature-independent emission from a novel ruthenium(II) complex having an arylborane charge-transfer unit.

We report the redox, absorption, and emission characteristics of the tris(1,10-phenanthroline)ruthenium(II) complexes [Ru(phen)(3)](2+) bearing a (dimesityl)boryldurylethynyl (DBDE) charge-transfer (CT) unit at the 4 (4BRu(2+)) or 5 (5BRu(2+)) position of one of the three phen ligands. In acetonitrile at 298 K, 4BRu(2+) showed absorption and emission maximum wavelengths at 473 and 681 nm, respectively, which were shifted to longer wavelengths by 25 and 74 nm, respectively, compared with the relevant value of 5BRu(2+), 448 and 607 nm, respectively. The effects of a fluoride ion on the absorption and emission spectra of the complexes demonstrated that the CT interaction between the π-electron system in the phen ligand (π(aryl)) and the vacant p orbital on the boron atom (p(B)) in the DBDE group (i.e., π(aryl)-p(B) CT) participated in the excited states of the complexes in addition to the Ru(II)-to-phen metal-to-ligand CT (MLCT) interaction. Reflecting such synergistic MLCT/π(aryl)-p(B) CT, both 4BRu(2+) and 5BRu(2+) exhibited intense emission at 298 K with a quantum yield of 0.11. Furthermore, the emission lifetime of 4BRu(2+) was as long as 12 μs and almost independent of the temperature (T = 280-330 K). The present study indicated that the nonemissive dd excited triplet state did not participate to nonradiative decay in the MLCT excited triplet state of 4BRu(2+). The effects of the synergistic MLCT/π(aryl)-p(B) CT interactions on the redox, absorption/emission, and photophysical characteristics of 4BRu(2+) and 5BRu(2+) are discussed in detail.

Excited-State Dynamics of Pentacene Derivatives with Stable Radical Substituents†

The excited-state dynamics of pentacene derivatives with stable radical substituents were evaluated in detail through transient absorption measurements. The derivatives showed ultrafast formation of triplet excited state(s) in the pentacene moiety from a photoexcited singlet state through the contributions of enhanced intersystem crossing and singlet fission. Detailed kinetic analyses for the transient absorption data were conducted to quantify the excited-state characteristics of the derivatives.

Excited-state dynamics in rigid media: evidence for long-range energy transfer.

In semirigid PEG-DMA550 films with the added anthracene derivatives PEG-An and Acr-An, energy transfer quenching of the metal-to-ligand charge transfer excited state Ru(bpy)3(2+)* to give -(3)An occurs by both rapid, static, and slow, diffusional quenching processes. The appearance of -(3)An was verified by transient absorption measurements. The kinetics of the two quenching processes have been analyzed by a Stern-Volmer kinetic analysis. The data for static quenching are consistent with energy transfer quenching with a distance dependence consistent with Dexter (exchange) energy transfer. On the basis of this analysis Bohr radii were found to be 26 and 11 Å for PEG-An and Acr-An, respectively. Evidence for triplet-triplet annihilation between triplet anthracene excited states in the films was obtained from the concentration dependences of excited-state decay. These results provide evidence for long-range energy migration between derivatized anthracenes in rigid, cross-linked PEG-DMA550 films.

Controlled Electropolymerization of Ruthenium(II) Vinylbipyridyl Complexes in Mesoporous Nanoparticle Films of TiO2

Surface-initiated, oligomeric assemblies of ruthenium(II) vinylpolypyridyl complexes have been grown within the cavities of mesoporous nanoparticle films of TiO2 by electrochemically controlled radical polymerization. Surface growth was monitored by cyclic voltammetry as well as UV/Vis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Polymerization occurs by a radical chain mechanism following cyclic voltammetry scans to negative potentials where reduction occurs at the π* levels of the polypyridyl ligands. Oligomeric growth within the cavities of the TiO2 films occurs until an average of six repeat units are added to the surface-bound initiator site, which is in agreement with estimates of the internal volumes of the pores in the nanoparticle films.