The redox and spectral properties of a variety of di- and triruthenium polypyridyl complexes has been studied with the goal of evaluating their potential use as dyes in dye-sensitized solar cells capable of producing photocurrent from near-IR light. A number of multi-ruthenium compounds were also prepared using the bridging ligands 2,3,5,6-tetrapyridylpyrazine (TPPZ), 2,2'-biimidazole (BIM), and 2,2'-bipyrimidine (BPM). A new, unsymmetrical polypyridyl bridging ligand, 2,3,5,6-tetrapyridylpyridine (TPPY), was prepared by performing a Stille coupling of 2,3,5,6-tetrabromopyridine with 2-(tributylstannyl)pyridine. This ligand was used to bridge two ruthenium centers, making the compound, [(TPY)Ru � TPPY � Ru(TPY)](PF6)3 , (TPY = 2,2';6',2�-terpyridine), which has both Ru�C and Ru�N bonds to the central ring. Ligand substitution in Grubbs' first and second-generation catalyst was also performed. A number of new catalysts were made by substituting PBu3, PMe3, CO, and 3-bromopyridine in place of PCy3. Ring-opening metathesis polymerization, ring-closing polymerization, and structural characterization was performed on these compounds.

Synthesis and characterization of polyruthenium dyes for solar cells and ruthenium catalysts based on Grubbs' first and second-generation catalyst

246th National Meeting (2013)

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