Underlying spin-orbit coupling structure of intervalence charge transfer bands in dinuclear polypyridyl complexes of ruthenium and osmium

Differences in the relative energies of the interconfigurational (IC) transitions for the fully oxidized (+6) states of the osmium systems demonstrate that stereochemical effects lead to fundamental changes in the energy levels of the metal-based dpi orbitals, which are split by spin-orbit coupling and ligand-field asymmetry. An increase in the separation between the IC bands as BL is varied reflects the increase in the degree of electronic coupling through the series of ruthenium and osmium complexes.