The complex, dichloro(6,6′-bis(N-dodecylbenzimidazol-2-yl)-2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium(II), Ru(ddbbbpy)Cl2 was prepared from the reaction of the free ligand and RuCl2(Me2SO)4. Structural characterization of the compound by 1H NMR revealed that 6,6′-bis(N-dodecylbenzimidazol-2-yl)-2,2′-bipyridine ligand lies symmetrically about the equatorial plane with the chlorides axial to each other. The electronic structure of the compound shows several ligand π–π* transitions in the ultraviolet and a broad dπ–pπ* MLCT manifold in the visible region of the spectrum. A ZINDO/S calculation reproduces, in some detail, the general features of the electronic spectrum of the title species. The electronic characteristics of the frontier orbitals are analysed. The parent neutral compound shows a fully reversible oxidation wave at −0.04 V vs. the Cp2Fe+/Cp2Fe couple in 0.1 M (C4H9)4NPF6/CH2Cl2. The low temperature (77 K) EPR spectrum of the one-electron oxidized product is typical for a rhombohedrally distorted Ru(III) complex with g values of 2.73, 2.20 and 1.82. Surface analysis of the parent complex as studied using Langmuir–Blodgett methods show a typical isotherm from which an area per molecule of 126 Å2 can be derived. Thin films of the complex were readily transferred to quartz and indium doped tin oxide (ITO) plates. Thin films are conductive as indicated by the cyclic voltammetry of the complexes on ITO slides.
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