Collect. Czech. Chem. Commun. 2003, 68, 1710-1722
https://doi.org/10.1135/cccc20031710

Electrochromic Behaviour of Polynuclear Ruthenium Complexes on Nanocrystalline SnO2

Matteo Biancardo, Peter F. H. Schwab and Carlo A. Bignozzi*

Dipartimento di Chimica, Università di Ferrara, Via L. Borsari 46, 44100 Ferrara, Italy

Abstract

The trinuclear [{Ru(NH3)4(py-COOH)}(μ-CN){Ru(bpy)2}(μ-CN){Ru(NH3)4(py-COOH)}]6+ (py-COOH = isonicotinic acid, bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) (1) and dinuclear [{Ru(dcb)2}2L]7- (dcb = 2,2'-bipyridine-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid, H3L = 9-phenyl-2,3,7-trihydroxy-6-fluorone) (2) complexes were prepared and their spectroelectrochemical behaviour characterised in solution and on conductive glass electrodes layered with Sb-doped nanocrystalline SnO2. The systems display a reversible redox response in a narrow potential range (-0.5 to +0.5 V vs SCE) and offer the possibility of controlling colour changes of electrochromic devices through variations of the coordinated and bridging ligands at the metal centres. SnO2(Sb) electrodes loaded with these dyes show switching times of the order of ms.

Keywords: Mixed-valence compounds; Polynuclear ruthenium complexes; Electrochromic behaviour; Electrochemistry.

References: 18 live references.