Products of the electrochemical oxidation of cis-L(2)Ru((II))(NCS)(2) in dimethylformamide and acetonitrile determined by LC-UV/Vis-MS.

The bis tetrabutylammonium salt of the solar cell dye, L 2 Ru(NCS) 2 , ((Bu 4 N + ) 2 [Ru(dcbpyH) 2 (NCS) 2 ] 2 - ), was oxidized electrochemically in both dimethylformamide and acetonitrile. Four different ruthenium complexes were identified by LC-UVNis-MS during the electrochemical oxidation process in dimethylformamide. The formation of the four complexes may be explained by a competition between a solvent-independent route with the formation of the intermediate complex L 2 Ru(NCS)(CN) and the final oxidation product L 2 Ru(CN) 2 and a solvent-dependent route, which proceeds through the intermediate complex L 2 Ru(NCS)(DMF) + to the final product L 2 Ru(CN)(DMF) + . In acetonitrile the solvent-dependent mechanism is dominant and only the oxidation products L 2 Ru(NCS)(ACN) + and L 2 Ru(CN)(ACN) + were identified.