Resonance Raman Studies of Bis(terpyridine)ruthenium(II) Amino Acid Esters and Diesters

Resonance Raman (rR) spectroscopy in combination with DFT calculations was used to elucidate the nature of the 1metal-to-ligand charge-transfer states (1MLCT) of ester derivatives of homo- and heteroleptic bis(terpyridine)ruthenium(II) complexes [RuII(tpy–COOC2H5)(tpy–R)](PF6)2 with R = NH2 (1a), R = COOC2H5 (1b) and R = NHCOCH3 (1c). The rR spectra provide evidence that the 1MLCT states of 1b and 1c are well described by the expected 1[(“t2g”)5{π*(tpy–COOC2H5)}1] electron configuration, while the 1MLCT state of the donor/acceptor-substituted complex 1a also involves the amine-substituted terpyridine ligand. The excited state of 1a can be described by a 1[{dyz/π(tpy–NH2)}1{π*(tpy–COOC2H5)}1…