Synthesis, Characterization, and Luminescence Spectroscopic Accessibility Studies of tris(2,2′-Bipyridine)Ruthenium(II)-Labeled Inorganic-Organic Hybrid Polymers

Abstract

The modified tris(2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) complex 2 was anchored via a sol-gel process to different polysiloxane matrices to give a series of novel inorganic–organic hybrid polymers. One of the bipyridine ligands of 2 was provided with a long-chain spacer carrying a triethoxysilyl function (T group) at the end, which enables almost free mobility of the transition metal center. The polymers were swollen in several organic solvents of different polarity to investigate the luminescence behavior in the presence of quencher molecules. The luminescence of 2 was quenched using anthracene and atmospheric oxygen in appropriate concentrations of 5 · 10−4 to 5 · 10−3 and 3 · 10−3 M, respectively. The luminescence behavior of 2 was determined by steady-state and time-resolved luminescence experiments. Translational mobilities of molecular species dissolved in the liquid phase were investigated by the kinetics of luminescence quenching after laser excitation. Both the translational mobility of anthracene and atmospheric oxygen, specified with the rate constant k2 and the percentage of accessible luminescent centers were determined. Translational mobilities and the accessibility for anthracene and atmospheric oxygen in hybrid materials are significantly higher than in conventional Q type polysiloxanes.