Synthesis of Phosphonic Acid Derivatized Bipyridine Ligands and Their Ruthenium Complexes

Water-stable, surface-bound chromophores, catalysts, and assemblies are an essential element in dye-sensitized photoelectrosynthesis cells for the generation of solar fuels by water splitting and CO2 reduction to CO, other oxygenates, or hydrocarbons. Phosphonic acid derivatives provide a basis for stable chemical binding on metal oxide surfaces. We report here the efficient synthesis of 4,4′-bis(diethylphosphonomethyl)-2,2′-bipyridine and 4,4′-bis(diethylphosphonate)-2,2′-bipyridine, as well as the mono-, bis-, and tris-substituted ruthenium complexes, [Ru(bpy)2(Pbpy)]2+, [Ru(bpy)(Pbpy)2]2+, [Ru(Pbpy)3]2+, [Ru(bpy)2(CPbpy)]2+, [Ru(bpy)(CPbpy)2]2+, and [Ru(CPbpy)3]2+ [bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine; Pbpy = 4,4′-bis(phosphonic acid)-2,2′-bipyridine; CPbpy = 4,4′-bis(methylphosphonic acid)-2,2′-bipyridine].