We show in this paper how the
3MLCT luminescence of [Ru(
bipy)(CN)
4]
2-, which is known to
behighly solvent-dependent, may
be varied over a much wider range than can
be achieved
by solvent effects,
by interaction of the externally directed cyanide ligands with additional metal cations
both in the solid stateand in solution. A series of crystallographic studies of [Ru(
bipy)(CN)
4]
2- salts with different metal cationsM
n+ (Li
+, Na
+, K
+, mixed Li
+/K
+, Cs
+, and Ba
2+) shows how the cyanide/M
n+ interaction varies from theconventional "end-on" with the more Lewis-acidic cations (Li
+, Ba
2+) to the more unusual "side-on" interactionwith the softer metal cations (K
+, Cs
+). The solid-state luminescence intensity and lifetime of these saltsis highly dependent on the nature of the cation, with Cs
+ affording the weakest luminescence and Ba
2+ thestrongest. A series of titrations of the more solu
ble derivative [Ru(
tBu
2bipy)(CN)
4]
2- in MeCN with a rangeof metal salts showed how the cyanide/M
n+ association results in a su
bstantial
blue-shift of the
1MLCTa
bsorptions, and
3MLCT energies, intensities, and lifetimes, with the complex varying from essentially non-luminescent in the a
bsence of metal cation to showing strong (
![](/images/gifchars/phi.gif)
= 0.07), long-lived (1.4
![](/images/entities/mgr.gif)
s), and high-energy (583 nm) luminescence in the presence of Ba
2+. This modulation of the
3MLCT energy, over arange of a
bout 6000 cm
-1 depending on the added cation, could
be used to reverse the direction ofphotoinduced energy transfer in a dyad containing covalently linked [Ru(
bipy)
3]
2+ and [Ru(
bipy)(CN)
4]
2-termini. In the a
bsence of a metal cation, the [Ru(
bipy)(CN)
4]
2- terminus has the lower
3MLCT energy andthere
by quenches the [Ru(
bipy)
3]
2+-
based luminescence; in the presence of Ba
2+ ions, the
3MLCT energyof the [Ru(
bipy)(CN)
4]
2- terminus is raised a
bove that of the [Ru(
bipy)
3]
2+ terminus, resulting in energytransfer to and sensitized emission from the latter.