title: Tuning charge recombination rate constants through inner-sphere coordination in a copper(I) donor-acceptor compound.
abstract: The coordination compounds [Cu(bpy-MV2+)(PPh3)2](PF6)3, where bpy-MV2+ is the 1-(4-(4'-methyl-2,2'-bipyridin-4-yl)butyl)-1'-methyl-4, 4'-bipyridinediium(2+) cation, and [Cu(dmb)(PPh3)2](PF6), where dmb is 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine, have been prepared and characterized. Visible light (417 nm) excitation of [Cu(bpy-MV2+)(PPh3)2]3+ at room temperature leads to rapid intramolecular electron transfer, kcs > 1 x 10(8) s-1, to form a charge-separated state with an electron localized on the pendant viologen group and a copper(II) metal center, abbreviated [CuII-bpy-MV.+]. This state recombines to ground-state products with first-order rate constants that can be tuned with solvent over a approximately 10(7)-10(5) s-1 range. The activation parameters were determined from temperature-dependent electron-transfer data with Arrhenius analysis. A model is proposed wherein a solvent molecule is coordinated to Cu(II) in the charge-separated state, [(S)CuII-bpy-MV.+]. Visible light excitation of [Cu(dmb)(PPh3)2](PF6) in argon-saturated dichloromethane produces long-lived photoluminescent excited states, tau = 80 ns, that are dynamically quenched by the addition of Lewis basic solvents. The measured quenching constants each correlate well with the lifetime of the charge-separated state measured after excitation of [Cu(bpy-MV2+)(PPh3)2]3+ in the corresponding solvent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA.
authors.forename: D V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Scaltrito
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruthkosky
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Zaros
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Meyer