title: Energy transfer pathways in dinuclear heteroleptic polypyridyl complexes: through-space vs through-bond interaction mechanisms.
abstract: A series of homo- and heteronuclear ruthenium and osmium polypyridyl complexes with the bridging ligands 1,3-bis(5-(2-pyridyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)benzene (H(2)mL) and 1,4-bis(5-(2-pyridyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)benzene (H(2)pL) are reported. The photophysical properties of these compounds are investigated, and particular attention is paid to the heteronuclear (RuOs) compounds, which exhibit dual emission. This is in contrast to phenyl-bridged polypyridine Ru-Os complexes with a similar metal-metal distance, in which the Ru emission is strongly quenched because the nature of the bridging ligand allows for an efficient through-bond coupling. The results obtained for the compounds reported here suggest that energy transfer is predominantly taking place via a dipole-dipole, Förster type, mechanism, that may dominate when through-bond coupling is weak. This is in stark contrast to ground state interaction, which is found to be critically dependent on the nature of the bridging unit employed.
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Sensor Research, School of Chemical Sciences, Dublin City University, Dublin 9, Ireland.
authors.forename: Frances
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Weldon
authors.forename: Leif
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hammarström
authors.forename: Emad
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mukhtar
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hage
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gunneweg
authors.forename: Jaap G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Haasnoot
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reedijk
authors.forename: Wesley R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Browne
authors.forename: Adrian L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Guckian
authors.forename: Johannes G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Vos