Dual emission and excited-state mixed-valence in a quasi-symmetric dinuclear Ru-Ru complex

The synthesis and characterization of the new dinuclear dipeptide [(EtOOC-tpy)Ru(tpy-NHCO-tpy)Ru(tpy-NHCOCH3)](4+) 3(4+) of the bis(terpyridine)ruthenium amino acid [(HOOC-tpy)Ru(tpy-NH2)](2+) 1(2+) are described, and the properties of the dipeptide are compared to those of the mononuclear complex [(EtOOC-tpy)Ru(tpy-NHCOCH3)](2+) 4(2+) carrying the same functional groups. 3(4+) is designed to serve a high electronic similarity of the two ruthenium sites despite the intrinsic asymmetry arising from the amide bridge. This is confirmed via UV-vis absorption and NMR spectroscopy as well as cyclic voltammetry. 4(2+) and 3(4+) are emissive at room temperature, as expected. Moreover, 3(4+) exhibits dual emission from two different triplet states with different energies and lifetimes at room temperature. This is ascribed to the presence of a unique thermal equilibrium between coexisting [Ru(II)(tpy-NHCO-tpy(·-))Ru(III)] and [Ru(III)(tpy-NHCO-tpy(·-))Ru(II)] states leading to an unprecedented excited-state Ru(II)Ru(III) mixed-valent system via the radical anion bridge tpy-NHCO-tpy(·-). The mixed-valent cation 3(5+), on the other hand, shows no measurable interaction of the Ru(II)Ru(III) centers via the neutral bridge tpy-NHCO-tpy (Robin-Day class I). Reduction of 3(4+) to the radical cation 3(3+) by decamethylcobaltocene is bridge-centered as evidenced by rapid-freeze electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Interestingly, all attempts to observe 3(3+) via NMR and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy only led to the detection of the diamagnetic complex 3-H(3+) in which the bridging amide is deprotonated. Hence 3-H(3+) (and 4-H(+)) appear to reduce protons to dihydrogen. The ease of single and double deprotonation of 4(2+) and 3(4+) to 4-H(+), 3-H(3+), and 3-2H(2+) was demonstrated using a strong base and was studied using NMR and UV-vis absorption spectroscopies. The equilibrating excited triplet states of 3(4+) are reductively quenched by N,N-dimethylaniline assisted by hydrogen bonding to the bridging amide.