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A series of cyclometalated diruthenium complexes with a redox-active amine bridge were synthesized. Depending on the terminal ligands of the ruthenium components and the substituent on the amine unit, the one-electron-oxidized state can be either in the form of a weakly or strongly coupled mixed-valence diruthenium complex, a fully charge-delocalized three-center system, or a bridge-biased electrophore. This transition among different electronic forms was supported by electrochemistry, near-infrared absorption, electron paramagnetic resonance, and density functional theory analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

Two series of linear ruthenium coordination oligomers, [(Ntpy)Ru n(tppz) n−1(tpy)]2 n+ (mono-Ntpy series, n=1-3) and [(Ntpy)2Ru n(tppz) n−1]2 n+ (bis-Ntpy series, n=1-3) have been prepared, where Ntpy is the capping ligand 4′-di- p-anisylamino-2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine, tppz is tetra-2-pyridylpyrazine, and tpy is 2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine. The electrochemical measurements evidence oxidation events from both the amine segments and the metal centers and reduction waves from tppz and the capping ligands. Both series complexes display much enhanced light absorption with respect to model complexes without terminal amine units. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been performed on both series and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) calculations have been performed on the bis-Ntpy-series compounds ( n=1-4) to characterize their electronic structures and excited states and predict the electronic properties of long-chain polymers. Upon one-electron oxidation, the mono-Ntpy-series monoruthenium and diruthenium complexes display N+-localized transitions and metal-to-nitrogen charge-transfer (MNCT) transitions in the near-infrared (NIR) region. DFT and TD-DFT computations on the one-electron-oxidized forms of the mono-Ntpy-series compounds ( n=1-4) provide insight into the nature of the MNCT transitions and the degree of charge delocalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]