Oligo(U-terpyridines) and their ruthenium(II) complexes: synthesis and structural properties

A highly efficient domino reaction starting from tetrahydroquinolinone and a series of bisiminium salts provides the corresponding bis(U-terpyridines). These ligands have been treated with [(tpy)RuCl3] to afford novel dinuclear complexes [(tpy)Ru(L)Ru(tpy)]4+. The protocol is also applied for the synthesis of a star-shaped tris(U-terpyridine) and the trinuclear complex [{(tpy)Ru}3(L)]6+. In view of potential applications in the fields of metallopolymers and molecular devices, the electronic spectra, as well as the electrochemical potentials of all the complexes have been obtained. According to these data, no significant intermetal interaction has been observed for the ruthenium complexes presented here.