Photochromic ruthenium sulfoxide complexes: evidence for isomerization through a conical intersection.

The complexes [Ru(bpy)(2)(OS)](PF(6)) and [Ru(bpy)(2)(OSO)](PF(6)), where bpy is 2,2'-bipyridine, OS is 2-methylthiobenzoate, and OSO is 2-methylsulfinylbenzoate, have been studied. The electrochemical and photochemical reactivity of [Ru(bpy)(2)(OSO)](+) is consistent with an isomerization of the bound sulfoxide from S-bonded (S-) to O-bonded (O-) following irradiation or electrochemical oxidation. Charge transfer excitation of [Ru(bpy)(2)(OSO)](+) in MeOH results in the appearance of two new metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) maxima at 355 and 496 nm, while the peak at 396 nm diminishes in intensity.

Phototriggered S --> O isomerization of a ruthenium-bound chelating sulfoxide.

We have prepared and characterized [Ru(bpy)2(OS)]+ (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine; OS = 2-methylthiobenzoate) and the chelating sulfoxide S-[Ru(bpy)2(OSO)]+ (OSO = methylsulfonylbenzoate) by 1H NMR (1-D and 2-D COSY), IR, UV-visible spectroscopy, electrochemistry, and X-ray crystallography. Many of the metrical and crystal parameters are nearly identical between the two structures. The sulfoxide is produced from m-cpba oxidation of the thioether.