Organometallic ruthenium complexes derived from anthracene and pyrene chromophores: Synthesis and photophysical properties

Two new monopyridyl-based Anthracene and Pyrene ligands were synthesized and employed to design Ruthenium-coordinated organometallic complexes, RuAnthra and RuPyrene, respectively. The ligands and their metal complexes were fully characterized by different analytical techniques, including multinuclear 1D- and 2D-NMR, electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry, UV–Vis, fluorescence spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. Furthermore, their photophysical properties were studied in different solvents with increasing polarity using UV–Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy, showing less or no significant solvolysis effect. The average emission lifetimes of the complexes were further determined using time-resolved emission spectroscopy. Additionally, the ligands and their metal complexes showed excellent ability to generate singlet oxygen and can be useful for several important potential applications.