Metal-to-ligand Charge Transfer State Research Articles

FeII Hexa N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complex with a 528 ps Metal-to-Ligand Charge-Transfer Excited-State Lifetime.

The iron carbene complex [FeII(btz)3](PF6)2 (where btz = 3,3'-dimethyl-1,1'-bis(p-tolyl)-4,4'-bis(1,2,3-triazol-5-ylidene)) has been synthesized, isolated, and characterized as a low-spin ferrous complex. It exhibits strong metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) absorption bands throughout the visible spectrum, and excitation of these bands gives rise to a 3MLCT state with a 528 ps excited-state lifetime in CH3CN solution that is more than one order of magnitude longer compared with the MLCT lifetime of any previously reported FeII complex. The low potential of the [Fe(btz)3]3+/[Fe(btz)3]2+ redox couple makes the 3MLCT state of [FeII(btz)3]2+ a potent photoreductant that can be generated by light absorption throughout the visible spectrum. Taken together with our recent results on the [FeIII(btz)3]3+ form of this complex, these results show that the FeII and FeIII oxidation states of the same Fe(btz)3 complex feature long-lived MLCT and LMCT states, respectively, demonstrating the versatility of iron N-heterocyclic carbene complexes as promising light-harvesters for a broad range of oxidizing and reducing conditions.

New Ru(ii) photocages operative with near-IR light: new platform for drug delivery in the PDT window.

A series of Ru(ii) complexes bearing the tridentate 2,6-di(quinolin-2-yl)pyridine (dqpy) ligand were designed to undergo photoinduced ligand dissociation with red/near-IR light. The complexes [Ru(dqpy)(L)(CH3CN)]2+, where L = 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy, 1), 4,4'dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine (Me2bpy, 2), and 1,10-phenanthroline (phen, 3). Complexes 1-3 exhibit red-shifted lowest energy metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) absorption maxima at ∼600 nm, as compared to the corresponding tpy (2,2';6',2''-terpyridine) complexes with MLCT bands at ∼565 nm which appear as shoulders to the MLCT bands at ∼455 nm. This shift is attributed to the lower energy LUMO afforded by the dqpy ligand when compared to tpy, as evidenced by the shift of the first reduction wave to ∼0.3 V more positive potentials in the former. In addition, the lowest MLCT maximum of [Ru(dqpy)(acac)(CH3CN)]+ (4; acac- = acetylacetonate) is observed at 770 nm, attributed to the additional increase in energy of the HOMO afforded by the presence of the π-donating acac- ligand and supported by calculations. Complexes 1-3 undergo ligand substitution upon irradiation with red light, λ irr ≥ 610 nm, and the ligand substitution photochemistry of 4 is accessible with near-IR light, λ irr ≥ 715 nm and λ irr = 735 nm. Complexes 1-4 exhibit similar quantum yields of ligand exchange, Φ L, with 450 and 600 nm irradiation, however, that of 4 is 2-3 times greater than those measured for 1-3. This enhancement is explained by the difference in ligand contributions to the HOMO. Density functional theory calculations predict partial dqpy ππ* character in the MLCT states of 1-3 and a mixed Ru/acac- → dqpy metal/ligand-to-ligand charge transfer (ML-LCT) state in 4. The photoreactivity of 1-4 with tissue-penetrating red and near-IR light, together with their exceptional dark stability (>48 h), makes the new Ru(ii)-dqpy platform ideal for the development of new complexes for photoinduced drug release and for other applications that require broad absorption from the ultraviolet and visible ranges into the near-IR, such as solar energy conversion.

Unusual effect of carborane ligands on the electronic properties of d 0-metal complexes

Modern quantum-chemical and photophysical methods have been used to study the structure of the frontier molecular orbitals and the nature of ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) transitions of structurally complex d 0-metallocenes. It has been shown that such metal complexes with carboranyl ligands have emissive LMCT states with preferential charge transfer from aromatic π-ligands to the metal and a large electric dipole moment. The electronic excitation and absorption spectra were simulated for the first time, and dipole moments of metal complexes containing metal–carbon σ- and π-bonds were estimated, which is of fundamental importance for the development of molecular photonics.

Eco-friendly luminescent solar concentrators with low reabsorption losses and resistance to concentration quenching based on aqueous-solution-processed thiolate-gold nanoclusters

Heavy-metal-containing quantum dots (QDs) with engineered electronic states have been served as luminophores in luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) with impressive optical efficiency. Unfortunately, those QDs involve toxic elements and need to be synthesized in a hazardous solvent. Recently, biocompatible, eco-friendly gold nanoclusters (AuNCs), which can be directly synthesized in an aqueous solution, have gained much attention for promising applications in ‘green photonics’. Here, we explored the solid-state photophysical properties of aqueous-solution-processed, glutathione-stabilized gold nanoclusters (GSH-AuNCs) with a ligand-to-metal charge-transfer (LMCT) state for developing ‘green’ LSCs. We found that such GSH-AuNCs exhibit a large Stokes shift with almost no spectral overlap between the optical absorption and PL emission due to the LMCT states, thus, suppressing reabsorption losses. Compared with GSH-AuNCs in solution, the photoluminescence quantum yields (PL-QYs) of the LSCs can be enhanced, accompanied with a lengthened PL lifetime owing to the suppression of non-radiative recombination rates. In addition, the LSCs do not suffer from severe concentration-induced PL quenching, which is a common weakness for conventional luminophores. As a result, a common trade-off between light-harvesting efficiency and solid-state PL-QYs can be bypassed due to nearly-zero spectral overlap integral between the optical absorption and PL emission. We expect that GSH-AuNCs hold great promise for serving as luminophores for ‘green’ LSCs by further enhancing solid-state PL-QYs.

Ligand manipulation of charge transfer excited state relaxation and spin crossover in [Fe(2,2'-bipyridine)2(CN)2

We have used femtosecond resolution UV-visible and Kβ x-ray emission spectroscopy to characterize the electronic excited state dynamics of [Fe(bpy)2(CN)2], where bpy=2,2′-bipyridine, initiated by metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) excitation. The excited-state absorption in the transient UV-visible spectra, associated with the 2,2′-bipyridine radical anion, provides a robust marker for the MLCT excited state, while the transient Kβ x-ray emission spectra provide a clear measure of intermediate and high spin metal-centered excited states. From these measurements, we conclude that the MLCT state of [Fe(bpy)2(CN)2] undergoes ultrafast spin crossover to a metal-centered quintet excited state through a short lived metal-centered triplet transient species. These measurements of [Fe(bpy)2(CN)2] complement prior measurement performed on [Fe(bpy)3]2+ and [Fe(bpy)(CN)4]2− in dimethylsulfoxide solution and help complete the chemical series [Fe(bpy)N(CN)6–2N]2N-4, where N = 1–3. The measurements confirm that simple ligand modifications can significantly change the relaxation pathways and excited state lifetimes and support the further investigation of light harvesting and photocatalytic applications of 3d transition metal complexes.

Self-Assembly of Tunable Heterometallic Ln-Ru Coordination Polymers with Near-Infrared Luminescence and Magnetocaloric Effect.

A series of heterometallic lanthanide (Ln)-Ru coordination polymers, denoted Gd-1, Yb-2, and Nd-3, were prepared by solvothermal reaction of a carboxylate derivative of [Ru(bpy)3 ]2+ (Rubpy, bpy=2,2'-bipyridine), oxalic acid, and Ln(OAc)3 by using the metalloligand strategy. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction indicated that the resulting isostructural heterometallic complexes have 1D butterfly-shaped Ln-Ru-based coordination chains but show slight differences in the coordination environments of the Ln centers. The introduced Ru(bpy) metalloligands could act as good light-harvesting antennas to effectively sensitize near-infrared (NIR) luminescence by energy transfer from the triplet metal-to ligand charge transfer state of Rubpy units to Ln (Yb or Nd) under the excitation in the visible-light region. Additionally, dopant-concentration-dependent behavior of the Ru-based emission and sensitized NIR emission was demonstrated in Gd-1. Finally, the magnetocaloric effect of Gd-1 was studied. The preparation of such heterometallic coordination polymers offers a versatile platform to investigate dimensionally controlled properties.

Description of excited states in [Re(Imidazole)(CO)3 (Phen)](+) including solvent and spin-orbit coupling effects: Density functional theory versus multiconfigurational wavefunction approach.

The low-lying electronic excited states of [Re(imidazole)(CO)3 (phen)](+) (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) ranging between 420 nm and 330 nm have been calculated by means of relativistic spin-orbit time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) and wavefunction approaches (state-average-CASSCF/CASPT2). A direct comparison between the theoretical absorption spectra obtained with different methods including SOC and solvent corrections for water points to the difficulties at describing on the same footing the bands generated by metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT), intraligand (IL) transition, and ligand-to-Ligand- charge transfer (LLCT). While TD-DFT and three-roots-state-average CASSCF (10,10) reproduce rather well the lowest broad MLCT band observed in the experimental spectrum between 420 nm and 330 nm, more flexible wavefunctions enlarged either by the number of roots or by the number of active orbitals and electrons destabilize the MLCT states by introducing IL and LLCT character in the lowest part of the absorption spectrum. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Influence of Ancillary Ligands and Isomerism on the Luminescence of Bis-cyclometalated Platinum(IV) Complexes

The synthesis, characterization, and photophysical properties of a wide variety of bis-cyclometalated Pt(IV) complexes featuring a C2-symmetrical or unsymmetrical {Pt(ppy)2} unit (sym or unsym complexes, respectively; ppy = C-deprotonated 2-phenylpyridine) and different ancillary ligands are reported. Complexes sym-[Pt(ppy)2X2] (X = OTf(-), OAc(-)) were obtained by chloride abstraction from sym-[Pt(ppy)2Cl2] using the corresponding AgX salts, and the triflate derivative was employed to obtain homologous complexes with X = F(-), Br(-), I(-), trifluoroacetate (TFA(-)). Complexes unsym-[Pt(ppy)2(Me)X] (X = OTf(-), F(-)) were prepared by reacting unsym-[Pt(ppy)2(Me)Cl] with AgOTf or AgF, respectively, and the triflate derivative was employed as precursor for the synthesis of the homologues with X = Br(-), I(-), or TFA(-) through its reaction with the appropriate anionic ligands. The previously reported complexes unsym-[Pt(ppy)2X2] (X = Cl(-), Br(-), OAc(-), TFA(-)) are included in the photophysical study to assess the influence of the arrangement of the cyclometalated ligands. Density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT calculations on selected derivatives were performed for a better interpretation of the observed excited-state properties. Complexes sym-[Pt(ppy)2X2] (except X = I(-)) exhibit phosphorescent emissions in fluid solutions at 298 K arising from essentially (3)LC(ppy) excited states, which are very similar in shape and energy. However, their efficiencies are heavily dependent on the nature of the ancillary ligands, which affect the energy of deactivating ligand-to-ligand charge transfer (LLCT) or ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) states. The fluoride derivative sym-[Pt(ppy)2F2] shows the highest quantum yield of this series (Φ = 0.398), mainly because the relatively high metal-to-ligand charge transfer admixture in its emitting state leads to a high radiative rate constant. Complexes unsym-[Pt(ppy)2X2] emit from (3)LC(ppy) states in frozen matrices at 77 K, but their emissions are totally quenched in fluid solution at 298 K because of the presence of low-lying, dissociative LMCT excited states, which also cause photoisomerization reactions. Complexes unsym-[Pt(ppy)2(Me)X] (X = F(-), Cl(-), Br(-), TFA(-)) show strong emissions in fluid solutions at 298 K (Φ = 0.52-0.63) because deactivating LMCT states lie at high energies. However, derivative unsym-[Pt(ppy)2(Me)I] is only weakly emissive at 298 K because of the presence of low-lying LLCT [p(I) → π*(ppy)] states.

Spectroscopy and quantum-chemical calculations of nitro-bis-bipyridyl complexes of ruthenium(II) with 4-substituted pyridine ligands

The luminescence, absorption, and luminescence excitation spectra of complexes cis-[Ru(bpy)2(L)(NO2)]+ [bpy = 2,2′-bipyridyl, L = pyridine, 4-aminopyridine, 4-dimethylaminopyridine, 4-picoline, isonicotinamide, or 4,4′-bipyridyl] in alcoholic (4 : 1 EtOH–MeOH) solutions are studied at 77 K. A linear correlation is established between the energy of the lowest electronically excited metal-toligand charge transfer state d π(Ru) → π*(bpy) of the complexes and the pKa parameter of the free 4-substituted pyridines used as ligands L. The B3LYP/[6-31G(d)+LanL2DZ(Ru)] hybrid density functional method is used to optimize the geometry of complexes and calculate their electronic structure and the charge distribution on the atoms of the nearest environment of ruthenium(II) ions. It is shown that there exists a mutually unambiguous correspondence between the charge on the nitrogen atom of ligands L coordinated in the complex and the pK a parameter of ligands. The calculated energies of the electronically excited metal-to-ligand charge transfer states of complexes linearly (correlation coefficient 0.99) depend on the charge on the nitrogen atom of ligands L, which completely agrees with the experimental data.

Disentangling the Physical Processes Responsible for the Kinetic Complexity in Interfacial Electron Transfer of Excited Ru(II) Polypyridyl Dyes on TiO2.

Interfacial electron transfer at titanium dioxide (TiO2) is investigated for a series of surface bound ruthenium-polypyridyl dyes whose metal-to-ligand charge-transfer state (MLCT) energetics are tuned through chemical modification. The 12 complexes are of the form Ru(II)(bpy-A)(L)2(2+), where bpy-A is a bipyridine ligand functionalized with phosphonate groups for surface attachment to TiO2. Functionalization of ancillary bipyridine ligands (L) enables the potential of the excited state Ru(III/)* couple, E(+/)*, in 0.1 M perchloric acid (HClO4(aq)) to be tuned from -0.69 to -1.03 V vs NHE. Each dye is excited by a 200 fs pulse of light in the visible region of the spectrum and probed with a time-delayed supercontiuum pulse (350-800 nm). Decay of the MLCT excited-state absorption at 376 nm is observed without loss of the ground-state bleach, which is a clear signature of electron injection and formation of the oxidized dye. The dye-dependent decays are biphasic with time constants in the 3-30 and 30-500 ps range. The slower injection rate constant for each dye is exponentially distributed relative to E(+/)*. The correlation between the exponentially diminishing density of TiO2 sub-band acceptor levels and injection rate is well described using Marcus-Gerischer theory, with the slower decay components being assigned to injection from the thermally equilibrated state and the faster components corresponding to injection from higher energy states within the (3)MLCT manifold. These results and detailed analyses incorporating molecular photophysics and semiconductor density of states measurements indicate that the multiexponential behavior that is often observed in interfacial injection studies is not due to sample heterogeneity. Rather, this work shows that the kinetic heterogeneity results from competition between excited-state relaxation and injection as the photoexcited dye relaxes through the (3)MLCT manifold to the thermally equilibrated state, underscoring the potential for a simple kinetic model to reproduce the complex kinetic behavior often observed at the interface of mesoporous metal oxide materials.

Ultrafast Photochemistry of Copper(II) Monochlorocomplexes in Methanol and Acetonitrile by Broadband Deep-UV-to-Near-IR Femtosecond Transient Absorption Spectroscopy.

Photochemistry of copper(II) monochlorocomplexes in methanol and acetonitrile solutions is studied by UV-pump/broadband deep-UV-to-near-IR probe femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. Upon 255 and 266 nm excitation, the complexes in acetonitrile and methanol, respectively, are promoted to the excited ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) state, which has a short (sub-250 fs) lifetime. From the LMCT state, the complexes decay via internal conversion to lower-lying ligand field (LF) d-d excited states or the vibrationally hot ground electronic state. A minor fraction of the excited complexes relaxes to the LF electronic excited states, which are relatively long-lived with lifetimes >1 ns. Also, in methanol solutions, about 3% of the LMCT-excited copper(II) monochlorocomplexes dissociate forming copper(I) solvatocomplexes and chlorine atoms, which then further react forming long-lived photoproducts. In acetonitrile, about 50% of the LMCT-excited copper(II) monochlorocomplexes dissociate forming radical and ionic products in a ratio of 3:2. Another minor process observed following excitation only in methanol solutions is the re-equilibration between several forms of the copper(II) ground-state complexes present in solutions. This re-equilibration occurs on a time scale from sub-nanoseconds to nanoseconds.

Inner-Shell Water Rearrangement Following Photoexcitation of Tris(2,2'-bipyridine)iron(II).

The solvent dynamics in Fe-tris-bipyridine [Fe(bpy)3](2+) upon electronic excitation (oxidation) and subsequent relaxation is followed on the picosecond time scale by using atomistic simulations. Starting from the low spin (LS) Fe(II)LS state the transition to the excited Fe(III) (1,3)MLCT (metal-to-ligand charge transfer) state decreases the water coordination in immediate proximity of the central iron atom. This readjustment of the solvent shell occurs on the subpicosecond time scale. Full relaxation of the water environment would occur on the 10 ps time scale which is, however, never reached as the lifetime of the (1,3)MLCT state is only 200 fs. Further relaxation toward the long-lived (665 ps) [Fe(II)HS(bpy)3] high spin (HS) state does not change the degree of solvation. The results support a model in which the change in the degree of solvation is driven by electronic effects (charge redistribution) and not by structural changes (change in bond lengths). Furthermore, the results are consistent with recent combined X-ray emission (XES) and X-ray diffusion (XDS) scattering experiments which provided evidence for a reduced solvent density upon excitation of the [Fe(II)LS(bpy)3] initial state. However, the time scale for water exchange dynamics is faster than that found in the experiments.

Luminescence properties of Eu3+-doped new scheelite-type compounds

The efficient new red emitting scheelite-type compounds, Eu3+-doped (5 mol.%) Y(Zr0.5W0.5)O4, Lu(Zr0.5W0.5)O4 and Y(Y1/3W2/3)O4, were successfully prepared. The crystal structure, photoluminescence and decay properties of the obtained phosphors were investigated. Shifts of the peaks in the XRD patterns were observed when Y3+ sites in the host were occupied by Lu3+ or Zr/W sites were occupied by Y/W. As a result of the crystallographic occupancy of Eu3+ located at the cation positions without inversion symmetry, under O→Zr/W and O→Eu3+ ligand-to-metal charge-transfer states (LMCT) excitation at 300 nm, the emission spectra of these compounds presented 5D0→7F2 transition for Eu3+ at 612 nm. The diagram of Eu3+ energy levels in these new scheelite-type compounds and the energy transfer processes were discussed.

Homoleptic Tris-Diphosphine Re(I) and Re(II) Complexes and Re(II) Photophysics and Photochemistry

The ligand-to-metal charge transfer state (LMCT) of [(dmpe)3Re](2+) (dmpe = 1,2-bis(dimethylphosphino)ethane) has been demonstrated to be a potent oxidant (E(0)(Re(2+*)/Re(+)) = 2.61 V vs standard calomel electrode). This complex has been traditionally prepared by nontrivial routes in low yields, and very little has been achieved in optimizing the ground state and emission energy properties of the general class of complexes [(PP)3Re](2+) (PP = chelating diphosphine) through phosphine modification. Improved syntheses for Re(I) tris-homoleptic diphosphine complexes [(PP)3Re](+) (PP = 1,2-bis(dimethylphosphino)ethane (dmpe), 1,2-bis(diethylphosphino)ethane (depe), bis(dimethylphosphino)methane (dmpm), bis(diphenylphosphino)methane (dppm), Me2PCH2PPh2, 1,3-bis(dimethylphosphino)propane (dmpp), or 1,2-bis(dimethyl-phosphino)benzene (dmpb)) were achieved by single-pot reactions exploiting the reducing potential of the phosphines when reacted with Re(V) oxo-complexes in 1,2-dichlorobenzene at 160-180 °C. Single-electron chemical oxidation of [(PP)3Re](+) yields luminescent Re(II) analogues; appropriate use of Ph3C(+), Cp2Fe(+), or (4-BrC6H4)3N(+) B(C6F5)4(-) salts produced [(PP)3Re](2+) complexes in good yields. Crystallographic trends for the Re(+)/Re(2+) pairs show significantly lengthened Re(2+)-P bonds for [(PP)3Re](2+) relative to the corresponding [(PP)3Re](+) system. The redox and luminescence behavior of the complexes indicates the luminescence is from a ligand P(σ)-to-metal (Re(dπ)) charge transfer ((2)LMCT) state for all the complexes. Structured luminescence at 77 K is postulated to originate from relaxation of the (2)LMCT state into two spin-orbit coupled states: the ground state and a state ∼ 3000 cm(-1) above the ground state. The excited-state reduction potential (Re(II*/I)) for [(depe)3Re](2+) was determined from the free energy dependence of luminescence quenching rate constants. Yields for formation of charge separated ions were determined for three of the complexes with a variety of electron donors. Despite favorable electrostatics, no charge separated ions were observed for radical ion pairs for which the energy of back electron transfer exceeded 1.1 V.

Iron sensitizer converts light to electrons with 92% yield.

Solar energy conversion in photovoltaics or photocatalysis involves light harvesting, or sensitization, of a semiconductor or catalyst as a first step. Rare elements are frequently used for this purpose, but they are obviously not ideal for large-scale implementation. Great efforts have been made to replace the widely used ruthenium with more abundant analogues like iron, but without much success due to the very short-lived excited states of the resulting iron complexes. Here, we describe the development of an iron-nitrogen-heterocyclic-carbene sensitizer with an excited-state lifetime that is nearly a thousand-fold longer than that of traditional iron polypyridyl complexes. By the use of electron paramagnetic resonance, transient absorption spectroscopy, transient terahertz spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations, we show that the iron complex generates photoelectrons in the conduction band of titanium dioxide with a quantum yield of 92% from the (3)MLCT (metal-to-ligand charge transfer) state. These results open up possibilities to develop solar energy-converting materials based on abundant elements.

Intriguing light-emission features of ketoprofen-based Eu(III) adduct due to a strong electron–phonon coupling

Lanthanide-based coordination compounds of molecular formula [Ln(keto)3(H2O)], where Ln=Gd, Eu and keto=ketoprofen, were synthesized and their photoluminescence features were detailed in the 12–300K interval. The emission spectra of [Eu(keto)3(H2O)] reveal a strong dependence with the temperature, well-illustrated by an unusual large blue-shift (∼17cm−1) of the 5D0→7F0 transition as the temperature is raised. The arithmetic difference between the absorption spectrum of [Eu(keto)3(H2O)] with that of [Gd(keto)3(H2O)] pointed out the presence of a ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) band (320–370nm). From the [Gd(keto)3(H2O)] phosphorescence the energy of the keto-related triplet states was determined showing a large overlap with the intra-4f6 levels and a strong electron–phonon coupling. The high-resonance between the LMCT and triplet states and the Eu3+ levels leads to a strong dependence of the 5D0 lifetime value, typical of the presence of operative energy transfer processes.

Understanding the Excited State Behavior of Cyclometalated Bis(tridentate)ruthenium(II) Complexes: A Combined Experimental and Theoretical Study.

The synthesis and characterization of the donor-acceptor substituted cyclometalated ruthenium(II) polypyridine complex isomers [Ru(dpb-NHCOMe)(tpy-COOEt)](PF6) 1(PF6) and [Ru(dpb-COOEt)(tpy-NHCOMe)](PF6) 2(PF6) (dpbH = 1,3-dipyridin-2-ylbenzene, tpy = 2,2';6,2"-terpyridine) with inverted functional group pattern are described. A combination of resonance Raman spectroscopic and computational techniques shows that all intense visible range absorption bands arise from mixed Ru → tpy/Ru → dpb metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) excitations. 2(PF6) is weakly phosphorescent at room temperature in fluid solution and strongly emissive at 77 K in solid butyronitrile matrix, which is typical for ruthenium(II) polypyridine complexes. Density functional theory calculations revealed that the weak emission of 2(PF6) arises from a (3)MLCT state that is efficiently thermally depopulated via metal-centered ((3)MC) excited states. The activation barrier for the deactivation process was estimated experimentally from variable-temperature emission spectroscopic measurements as 11 kJ mol(-1). In contrast, 1(PF6) is nonemissive at room temperature in fluid solution and at 77 K in solid butyronitrile matrix. Examination of the electronic excited states of 1(PF6) revealed a ligand-to-ligand charge-transfer ((3)LL'CT) as lowest-energy triplet state due to the very strong push-pull effect across the metal center. Because of the orthogonality of the participating ligands, emission from the (3)LL'CT is symmetry-forbidden. Hence, in this type of complex a stronger push-pull effect does not increase the phosphorescence quantum yields but completely quenches the emission.

A ruthenium(II) complex-based lysosome-targetable multisignal chemosensor for in vivo detection of hypochlorous acid

Although considerable efforts have been made for the development of ruthenium(II) complex-based chemosensors and bioimaging reagents, the multisignal chemosensor using ruthenium(II) complexes as the reporter is scarce. In addition, the mechanisms of cellular uptake of ruthenium(II)-based chemosensors and their intracellular distribution are ill-defined. Herein, a new ruthenium(II) complex-based multisignal chemosensor, Ru-Fc, is reported for the highly sensitive and selective detection of lysosomal hypochlorous acid (HOCl). Ru-Fc is weakly luminescent because the MLCT (metal-to-ligand charge transfer) state is corrupted by the efficient PET (photoinduced electron transfer) process from Fc (ferrocene) moiety to Ru(II) center. The cleavage of Fc moiety by a HOCl-induced specific reaction leads to elimination of PET, which re-establishes the MLCT state of the Ru(II) complex, accompanied by remarkable photoluminescence (PL) and electrochemiluminescence (ECL) enhancements. The result of MTT assay showed that the proposed chemosensor, Ru-Fc, was low cytotoxicity. The applicability of Ru-Fc for the quantitative detection of HOCl in live cells was demonstrated by the confocal microscopy imaging and flow cytometry analysis. Dye colocalization studies confirmed very precise distribution of the Ru(II) complex in lysosomes, and inhibition studies revealed that the caveolae-mediated endocytosis played an important role during the cellular internalization of Ru-Fc. By using Ru-Fc as a chemosensor, the imaging of the endogenous HOCl generated in live macrophage cells during the stimulation was achieved. Furthermore, the practical applicability of Ru-Fc was demonstrated by the visualizing of HOCl in laboratory model animals, Daphnia magna and zebrafish.

Electron Injection from Copper Diimine Sensitizers into TiO2: Structural Effects and Their Implications for Solar Energy Conversion Devices.

Copper(I) diimine complexes have emerged as low cost replacements for ruthenium complexes as light sensitizers and electron donors, but their shorter metal-to-ligand-charge-transfer (MLCT) states lifetimes and lability of transient Cu(II) species impede their intended functions. Two carboxylated Cu(I) bis-2,9-diphenylphenanthroline (dpp) complexes [Cu(I)(dpp-O(CH2CH2O)5)(dpp-(COOH)2)](+) and [Cu(I)(dpp-O(CH2CH2O)5)(dpp-(Φ-COOH)2)](+) (Φ = tolyl) with different linker lengths were synthesized in which the MLCT-state solvent quenching pathways are effectively blocked, the lifetime of the singlet MLCT state is prolonged, and the transient Cu(II) ligands are stabilized. Aiming at understanding the mechanisms of structural influence to the interfacial charge transfer in the dye-sensitized solar cell mimics, electronic and geometric structures as well as dynamics for the MLCT state of these complexes and their hybrid with TiO2 nanoparticles were investigated using optical transient spectroscopy, X-ray transient absorption spectroscopy, time-dependent density functional theory, and quantum dynamics simulations. The combined results show that these complexes exhibit strong absorption throughout the visible spectrum due to the severely flattened ground state, and a long-lived charge-separated Cu(II) has been achieved via ultrafast electron injection (<300 fs) from the (1)MLCT state into TiO2 nanoparticles. The results also indicate that the TiO2-phen distance in these systems does not have significant effect on the efficiency of the interfacial electron-transfer process. The mechanisms for electron transfer in these systems are discussed and used to develop new strategies in optimizing copper(I) diimine complexes in solar energy conversion devices.

Participation of electronic excited states in the positronium formation mechanism in the Gd(III) pentakis (picrate) complexes with imidazolium countercations

In this work, positron annihilation lifetime (PALS) and optical spectroscopies measurements were performed on [Gd(pic)2(H2O)6](pic)·6H2O and on complexes of general formula C2[Gd(pic)5], where pic corresponds to picrate ligands and C to the countercations butyl-methyl, hexyl-methyl, butyl-ethyl and butyl-butyl imidazoles. Since all of these complexes have high energy ligand-to-metal charge transfer states (LMCTS) but form low amounts of Positronium (Ps), the LMCTS do not act here as a mechanism that suppress luminescence nor prevents Ps formation. This result suggests that, besides LMCTS, other effects should also contribute to prevent Ps formation. The results indicate that the electron withdrawing –NO2 groups in the picrate ligand are responsible by the effect that prevents Ps formation. Also, a rough correlation between the ligands' triplet states lifetimes and Ps formation was observed. The insertion of electron donor groups (the imidazolium countercations) increased the ligands' first triplet excited states (3π⁎) lifetimes and Ps formation, indicating that these two spectroscopic parameters are correlated. Also, it is demonstrated that there is no clear correlation between Ps formation probability and the excitation energy of the ligands' first triplet excited states. The results were discussed in terms of the recently proposed Ps formation mechanism, named cybotactic correlated system kinetic mechanism (CCSKM), showing that the Ps formation process involves molecular excited states and is kinetically controlled.