Steady-state and time-resolved emission spectroscopy are valuable tools to probe photochemical processes of metal-ligand, coordination complexes. Ru(II) polyazine light absorbers are efficient light harvesters absorbing in the UV and visible with emissive ³MLCT excited states known to undergo excited state energy and electron transfer. Changes in emission intensity, energy or band-shape, as well as excited state lifetime, provide insight into excited state dynamics. Photophysical processes such as intramolecular electron transfer between electron donor and electron acceptor sub-units may be investigated using these methods. This review investigates the use of steady-state and time-resolved emission spectroscopy to measure excited state intramolecular electron transfer in polyazine bridged Ru(II),Rh(III) supramolecular complexes. Intramolecular electron transfer in these systems provides for conversion of the emissive ³MLCT (metal-to-ligand charge transfer) excited state to a non-emissive, but potentially photoreactive, ³MMCT (metal-to-metal charge transfer) excited state. The details of the photophysics of Ru(II),Rh(III) and Ru(II),Rh(III),Ru(II) systems as probed by steady-state and time-resolved emission spectroscopy will be highlighted.
Keywords: MLCT light absorbers; emission spectroscopy; intramolecular electron transfer; polyazine bridging ligands; supramolecular.