Photoinduced Charge Separation within Metallo-supramolecular Wires Built around a [Ru(bpy)3](2+)-Bisterpyridine Linear Entity.

A [Ru(bpy)3]2+-like complex (L1) bearing two free terpyridine groups at the 5 and 5′ positions of the same bipyridine, linked by the rigid and linear 2,5-dimethyl phenylene bridges has been synthesized to open access to two classes of linear molecular wires with photosensitive properties: a bimetallic coordination polymer and an inorganic triad. In this Research Article, we report on the synthesis and characterization of the resulting [{RuII_FeII}n]4n+ alternated bimetallic polymer and the [CoIII_RuII_FeII]7+ triad based on the building block L1. The [{RuII_FeII}n]4n+ polymer is fully characterized in solution. Cyclic voltammetry and emission lifetime measurements show that the bridging ligand allows interaction between the metal centers in the excited state despite the lack of interactions in the ground state. Under visible irradiation, the polymer can be fully oxidized in the presence of a sacrificial electron acceptor in solution. Thin robust films of the polymer are easily obtained on ITO by a simple ...