Counter Ion Effect on Photoinduced Electron Transfer Reaction between Ruthenium Complexes

Quenching experiments by photoinduced electron transfer between a charged donor and a neutral acceptor were carried out in acetonitrile, dichloromethane and mixed solvents of acetonitrile and dichloromethane. Tris(2, 2'-bipyridine) ruthenium(II) ($[Ru(bpy)_3]^{2+}$) which has 2+ charge and dicyanobis (2, 2'-bipyridine) ruthenium(II) ($Ru(bpy)_2(CN)_2$) which has no charge were used as electron donors, and a series of tris(${\beta}$-diketonato) ruthenium (III) was used as acceptor. In dichloromethane, $[Ru(bpy)_3]^{2+}$ and its counter ions ($ClO{_4}^-$) form ion pair. In the estimate of ${\Delta}G$ of electron transfer, the electrostatic potential between counter ions and product ion pair produced by electron transfer must be taken into account. A similar effect of counter ions was found in mixed solvents of 10, 30, 50, 70 and 90% acetonitrile ratio in volume. The effect of counter ion on ${\Delta}G$ became smaller with the increase in acetonitrile ratio. The result in mixed solvents suggests that $[Ru(bpy)_3]^{2+}$ and its counter ions form ion pair even in 90% acetonitrile solution.