AN ELECTROCHEMICAL AND SPECTROELECTROCHEMICAL INVESTIGATION OF BIS(2,2'-BIPYRIDINE)(2,4,6-TRIS(2-PYRIDYL)TRIAZINE)RUTHENIUM(II) - A POTENTIAL BUILDING-BLOCK FOR SUPRAMOLECULAR SYSTEMS

Electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical measurements have been carried out on the complex [Ru(bpy)(2)(tpt)](2+) (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, tpt = 2,4,6-tris(2-pyridyl)triazine). In N,N-dimethylformamide solution, this complex undergoes a series of reversible one-electron reductions at negative potentials with E(01) values of -0.59, -1.22 and -1.48 V versus Ag/AgCl(3 M NaCl). Additionally, two poorly resolved reduction waves are observed at -1.77 and -1.86 V. In acetonitrile, a single metal based oxidation is observed at +1.55 V versus Ag/AgCl(3 M NaCl). UV-Vis spectroelectrochemistry has been used to characterize the complex as well as its first three reduction products. On the basis of the spectroelectrochemical measurements, the first reduction is assigned as a tpt reduction, while the second and third reductions involve separate bpy ligands.