Fine-Tuning of the Optical and Electrochemical Properties of Ruthenium(II) Complexes with 2-Arylbenzimidazoles and 4,4′-Dimethoxycarbonyl-2,2′-bipyridine
Maria A. Lavrova,
Stepan A. Verzun,
Sergey A. Mishurinskiy,
Maxim A. Sirotin,
Sofya K. Bykova,
Victoria E. Gontcharenko,
Sofia S. Mariasina,
Vladislav M. Korshunov,
Ilya V. Taydakov,
Yury A. Belousov,
Vladimir D. Dolzhenko
Affiliations
Maria A. Lavrova
Chemistry Department, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory Street, Building 1/3, 119234 Moscow, Russia
Stepan A. Verzun
Chemistry Department, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory Street, Building 1/3, 119234 Moscow, Russia
Sergey A. Mishurinskiy
Chemistry Department, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory Street, Building 1/3, 119234 Moscow, Russia
Maxim A. Sirotin
Chemistry Department, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory Street, Building 1/3, 119234 Moscow, Russia
Sofya K. Bykova
Higher Chemical College of RAS, Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology, Miusskaya Square, 9, 125047 Moscow, Russia
Victoria E. Gontcharenko
Faculty of Chemistry, National Research University Higher School of Economics, 20 Miasnitskaya Street, 101000 Moscow, Russia
Sofia S. Mariasina
Chemistry Department, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory Street, Building 1/3, 119234 Moscow, Russia
Vladislav M. Korshunov
P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
Ilya V. Taydakov
P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
Yury A. Belousov
Chemistry Department, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory Street, Building 1/3, 119234 Moscow, Russia
Vladimir D. Dolzhenko
Chemistry Department, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory Street, Building 1/3, 119234 Moscow, Russia
A series of cyclometalated complexes of ruthenium (II) with four different substituents in the aryl fragment of benzimidazole was synthesized in order to study the effect of substituent donation on the electronic structure of the substances. The resulting complexes were studied using X-ray diffraction, NMR spectroscopy, MALDI mass spectrometry, electron absorption spectroscopy, luminescence spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry as well as DFT/TDDFT was also used to interpret the results. All the complexes have intense absorption in the range of up to 700 nm, the triplet nature of the excited state was confirmed by measurement of luminescence decay. With an increase in substituent donation, a red shift of the absorption and emission bands occurs, and the lifetime of the excited state and the redox potential of the complex decrease. The combination of these properties shows that the complexes are excellent dyes and can be used as photosensitizers.
