Ruthenium(II) complexes with phosphonate-substituted phenanthroline ligands: synthesis, characterization and use in organic photocatalysis.

Ru(II) complexes with polypyridyl ligands play a central role in the development of photocatalytic organic reactions. This work is aimed at the structural modification of such complexes to increase their photocatalytic efficiency and adapt them for the preparation of reusable photocatalytic systems. Nine [Ru(phen)(bpy)]-type complexes (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) (Ru-Pcat) bearing the P(O)(OEt) substituent attached to the phen core directly or through a 1,4-phenylene linker were synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques.