Spectroelectrochemical Investigation of the One-Electron Reduction of Nonplanar Nickel(II) Porphyrins

Controlling Excited State Localization in Bichromophoric Photosensitizers via the Bridging Group

A series of photosensitizers comprised of both an inorganic and an organic chromophore are investigated in a joint synthetic, spectroscopic, and theoretical study. This bichromophoric design strategy provides a means by which to significantly increase the excited state lifetime by isolating the excited state away from the metal center following intersystem crossing. A variable bridging group is incorporated between the donor and acceptor units of the organic chromophore, and its influence on the excited state properties is explored. The Franck-Condon (FC) photophysics and subsequent excited state relaxation pathways are investigated with a suite of steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic techniques in combination with scalar-relativistic quantum chemical calculations. It is demonstrated that the presence of an electronically conducting bridge that facilitates donor-acceptor communication is vital to generate long-lived (32 to 45 μs), charge-separated states with organic character. In contrast, when an insulating 1,2,3-triazole bridge is used, the excited state properties are dominated by the inorganic chromophore, with a notably shorter lifetime of 60 ns. This method of extending the lifetime of a molecular photosensitizer is, therefore, of interest for a range of molecular electronic devices and photophysical applications.

Oxidation-state sensitive light-induced dynamics of Ruthenium-4H-Imidazole complexes

Oxidized molecular states are key intermediates in photo-induced redox reactions, e. g., intermolecular charge transfer between photosensitizer and catalyst in photoredox catalysis. The stability and longevity of the oxidized photosensitizer is an important factor in optimizing the respective light-driven reaction pathways. In this work the oxidized states of ruthenium(II)-4H-imidazole dyes are studied. The ruthenium complexes constitute benchmark photosensitizers in solar energy interconversion processes with exceptional chemical stability, strong visible light absorption, and favourable redox properties. To rationalize the light-induced reaction in the oxidized ruthenium(III) systems, we combine UV-vis absorption, resonance Raman, and transient absorption spectroelectrochemistry (SEC) with time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations. Three complexes are compared, which vary with respect to their coordination environment, i. e., combining an 4H-imidazole with either 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy) or 2,2';6'2"-terpyridine (tpy) coligands, and chloride or isothiocyanate ligands. While all oxidized complexes have similar steady state absorption properties, their excited state kinetics differ significantly; the study thus opens the doorway to study the light-driven reactivity of oxidized molecular intermediates in intermolecular charge transfer cascades.

Outpacing conventional nicotinamide hydrogenation catalysis by a strongly communicating heterodinuclear photocatalyst

Unequivocal assignment of rate-limiting steps in supramolecular photocatalysts is of utmost importance to rationally optimize photocatalytic activity. By spectroscopic and catalytic analysis of a series of three structurally similar [(tbbpy)2Ru-BL-Rh(Cp*)Cl]3+ photocatalysts just differing in the central part (alkynyl, triazole or phenazine) of the bridging ligand (BL) we are able to derive design strategies for improved photocatalytic activity of this class of compounds (tbbpy = 4,4´-tert-butyl-2,2´-bipyridine, Cp* = pentamethylcyclopentadienyl). Most importantly, not the rate of the transfer of the first electron towards the RhIII center but rather the rate at which a two-fold reduced RhI species is generated can directly be correlated with the observed photocatalytic formation of NADH from NAD+. Interestingly, the complex which exhibits the fastest intramolecular electron transfer kinetics for the first electron is not the one that allows the fastest photocatalysis. With the photocatalytically most efficient alkynyl linked system, it is even possible to overcome the rate of thermal NADH formation by avoiding the rate-determining β-hydride elimination step. Moreover, for this photocatalyst loss of the alkynyl functionality under photocatalytic conditions is identified as an important deactivation pathway.