Preparation of a novel β-CD–dimanganese complex with covalently bound photosensitizer

The synthesis and structure of a novel donor–acceptor complex comprised of a photosensitising ruthenium polypyridyl moiety covalently linked to a β-cyclodextrin unit bearing a hydroxy-bridged manganese(III) dimer 1 is described; the dimanganese complex undergoes a photoinduced electron transfer and may represent an attractive model system for elucidating aspects of photosystem II.