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Photophysics and photochemistry of a d5 Ruthenium complex

Tran Hoang Hai, Yen LU (2025)
Abstract
Transition metal complexes (TMCs) with charge transfer states play a crucial role in photophysical and photochemical processes, particularly in energy conversion applications. This thesis investigates the photophysics and photochemistry of the d⁵ ruthenium complex ([Ru(III)(phtmeimb)2]+), focusing on its excited-state dynamics and charge transfer properties.
The photophysical study involves steady-state absorption and emission spectroscopy, as well as temperature-dependent measurements, to characterize the electronic transitions and relaxation pathways the complex. The impact of oxidation state on photophysical properties is examined using cyclic voltammetry and UV-Vis spectroelectrochemistry. Time-resolved transient absorption and... (More)
Transition metal complexes (TMCs) with charge transfer states play a crucial role in photophysical and photochemical processes, particularly in energy conversion applications. This thesis investigates the photophysics and photochemistry of the d⁵ ruthenium complex ([Ru(III)(phtmeimb)2]+), focusing on its excited-state dynamics and charge transfer properties.
The photophysical study involves steady-state absorption and emission spectroscopy, as well as temperature-dependent measurements, to characterize the electronic transitions and relaxation pathways the complex. The impact of oxidation state on photophysical properties is examined using cyclic voltammetry and UV-Vis spectroelectrochemistry. Time-resolved transient absorption and emission spectroscopy are the core of this thesis. These techniques were employed to explore the excited-state evolution. This study reveals the key role of internal conversion on the excited-state relaxation of ([Ru(III)(phtmeimb)2]+). Temperature-dependent emission studies reveal a nearly barrier-less character of the excited state depopulation. At the temperatures close to glass transition of solvent, we identified the presence of a weak thermally activated contribution to the non-radiative pathways, which is most probably related to restrictions imposed by solidification of the solvent on intra-molecular degrees of freedom related to the efficiency of internal conversion. By transient absorption, we observed a clear dependence of the excited state energy relaxation dynamics on the nature of the initially populated excited state. We also propose a weak influence of solvation dynamics in highly polar solvent on evolution of the excited state despite of a distinct charge transfer character of the employed excitations.
In the photochemical investigation, intermolecular charge transfer is studied by introducing an electron donor N,N-dimethylaniline (DMA). The charge separation (CS) and charge recombination (CR) dynamics were analyzed across a wide range of DMA concentrations to reveal a strong dependence of CS and CR on DMA concentration, with indication of long-live signal at high concentrations. By a comparative analysis of CS and CR dynamics in ([Ru(III)(phtmeimb)2]+) with the previously studied ([Fe(III)(phtmeimb)2]+) we conclude that CS happens in the normal region whereas CR in inverted region of Marcus parabola.
These results provide an understanding of d⁵ LMCT complex excited-state behavior and their potential for light-driven catalysis and energy conversion applications.

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author
supervisor
organization
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
pages
115 pages
ISBN
978-91-8096-110-3
978-91-8096-111-0
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
dd8463bb-a45a-4cda-a824-69539d4a9bd3
date added to LUP
2025-05-15 11:33:28
date last changed
2025-05-16 15:08:29
@misc{dd8463bb-a45a-4cda-a824-69539d4a9bd3,
  abstract     = {{Transition metal complexes (TMCs) with charge transfer states play a crucial role in photophysical and photochemical processes, particularly in energy conversion applications. This thesis investigates the photophysics and photochemistry of the d⁵ ruthenium complex ([Ru(III)(phtmeimb)2]+), focusing on its excited-state dynamics and charge transfer properties. <br/>The photophysical study involves steady-state absorption and emission spectroscopy, as well as temperature-dependent measurements, to characterize the electronic transitions and relaxation pathways the complex. The impact of oxidation state on photophysical properties is examined using cyclic voltammetry and UV-Vis spectroelectrochemistry. Time-resolved transient absorption and emission spectroscopy are the core of this thesis. These techniques were employed to explore the excited-state evolution. This study reveals the key role of internal conversion on the excited-state relaxation of ([Ru(III)(phtmeimb)2]+). Temperature-dependent emission studies reveal a nearly barrier-less character of the excited state depopulation. At the temperatures close to glass transition of solvent, we identified the presence of a weak thermally activated contribution to the non-radiative pathways, which is most probably related to restrictions imposed by solidification of the solvent on intra-molecular degrees of freedom related to the efficiency of internal conversion. By transient absorption, we observed a clear dependence of the excited state energy relaxation dynamics on the nature of the initially populated excited state. We also propose a weak influence of solvation dynamics in highly polar solvent on evolution of the excited state despite of a distinct charge transfer character of the employed excitations.<br/>In the photochemical investigation, intermolecular charge transfer is studied by introducing an electron donor N,N-dimethylaniline (DMA). The charge separation (CS) and charge recombination (CR) dynamics were analyzed across a wide range of DMA concentrations to reveal a strong dependence of CS and CR on DMA concentration, with indication of long-live signal at high concentrations. By a comparative analysis of CS and CR dynamics in ([Ru(III)(phtmeimb)2]+) with the previously studied ([Fe(III)(phtmeimb)2]+) we conclude that CS happens in the normal region whereas CR in inverted region of Marcus parabola.<br/>These results provide an understanding of d⁵ LMCT complex excited-state behavior and their potential for light-driven catalysis and energy conversion applications. <br/><br/>}},
  author       = {{Tran Hoang Hai, Yen}},
  isbn         = {{978-91-8096-110-3}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{05}},
  note         = {{Licentiate Thesis}},
  title        = {{Photophysics and photochemistry of a d<sup>5</sup> Ruthenium complex}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}