Electrochemical and Photophysical Study in Solution and on Ruthenium(II) Polypyridyl Complexes Containing Thiophenylethynylphenanthrolines Self-assembled on Gold Surfaces

Novel ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes with diethynylphenanthrolines containing acetylthiophenyl unit(s) have been prepared and characterized by photophysical measurements. These complexes showed the MLCT and the lowest energy π–π* absorption bands, and also intensive broad emission bands assignable to a triplet MLCT transition were observed in the deaerated solution. The electrochemistry of these complexes in the solution and on self-assembled monolayers on the gold electrode clearly showed Ru(II)/R(III) redox waves.