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Bis-triarylamine 2 and cyclometalated diruthenium 6(PF6)2 with a linear trans, trans-urea bridge have been prepared, together with the bis-triarylamine 3 and cyclometalated diruthenium 8(PF6)2 with a folded cis, cis- N, N-dimethylurea bridge. The linear or folded conformations of these molecules are supported by single-crystal X-ray structures of 2, 3, and other related compounds. These compounds display two consecutive anodic redox waves (N .+/0 or RuIII/II processes) with a potential separation of 110-170 mV. This suggests that an efficient electronic coupling is present between two redox termini through the cross-conjugated urea bridge. The degree of electronic coupling has been investigated by using spectroelectrochemical measurements. Distinct intervalence charge-transfer (IVCT) transitions have been observed for mixed-valent (MV) compounds with a linear conformation. The IVCT transitions can also be identified for the folded MV compounds, albeit with a much weaker intensity. DFT results support that the electronic communication occurs by a through-bond and through-space pathway for the linear and folded compounds, respectively. The IVCT transitions of the MV compounds have been reproduced by TDDFT calculations. For the purpose of comparison, a bistriarylamine and a diruthenium complex with an imidazolidin-2-one bridge and a urea-containing mono-triarylamine and monoruthenium complex have been synthesized and studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nine cyclometalated ruthenium complexes with a redox-active diphenylamine unit in the para position to the RuC bond were prepared. MeO, Me, and Cl substituents on the diphenylamine unit and three types of auxiliary ligands-bis( N-methylbenzimidazolyl)pyridine (Mebip), 2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine (tpy), and trimethyl-4,4′,4′′-tricarboxylate-2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine (Me3tctpy)-were used to vary the electronic properties of these complexes. The derivative with an MeO-substituted amine unit and Me3tctpy ligand was studied by single-crystal X-ray analysis. All complexes display two well-separated redox waves in the potential region of +0.1 to +1.0 V versus Ag/AgCl, and the potential splitting ranges from 360 to 510 mV. Spectroelectrochemical measurements show that these complexes display electrochromism at low potentials and intense near-infrared (NIR) absorptions. In the one-electron oxidized form, the complex with the Cl-substituted amine unit and Mebip ligand shows a moderate ligand-to-metal charge transfer at 800 nm. The other eight complexes show asymmetric, narrow, and intense intervalence charge-transfer transitions in the NIR region, which are independent of the polarity of the solvent. The Mebip-containing complexes display rhombic or broad isotropic EPR signals, whereas the other seven complexes show relatively narrow isotropic EPR signals. In addition, DFT and time-dependent DFT studies were performed to gain insights into the spin distributions and NIR absorptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]