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A series of photochromic ruthenium sulfoxide complexes of the form [Ru(bpy)2(OSOR)]+, where bpy is 2,2′bipyridine and OSOR is 2-(benzylsulfinyl)benzoate (OSOBn), 2-(napthalen-2-yl-methylsulfinyl)- benzoate (OSONap), or 2-(pentafluorophenylmethanesulfinyl)benzoate (OSOBnF5), have been synthesized and characterized. In aggregate, the data are consistent with phototriggered isomerization of the sulfoxide from S-bonded to 0-bonded. The S-bonded complexes feature ³MLCT absorption maxima at 388 nm (R = BnF5), 396 nm (R = Bn), and 400 nm (R = Nap). Upon charge transfer excitation the S-bonded peak diminishes concomitant with new peaks growing in at ∼350 and ∼495 nm. Spectroscopic and electrochemical data suggest that the electronic character of the substituent on the sulfur affects the properties of the S-bonded complexes, but not the 0-bonded complexes. The isomerization is reversible in methanol solutions and in the absence of light, thermally reverts to the S-bonded isomer with biexponential kinetics. The quantum yields of isomerization (Φs→o) were found to be 0.32, 0.22, and 0.16 for the R = BnF5, Bn, and Nap complexes, respectively. Kinetic analyses of fem to second transient absorption data were consistent with a nonadiabatic mechanism in which isomerization occurs from a thermally relaxed ³MLCT state of S-bonded (or η²-sulfoxide) character directly to the singlet O-bonded ground state. The time constants of isomerization (τs→o) were found to be 84, 291, and 427 ps for the R = BnF5, Bn, and Nap complexes, respectively. Analysis of room temperature absorption and 77 K emission spectra reveal significant distortion between the S-bonded ground state (¹GSs) and singlet metal-to-ligand charge transfer state (¹MLCTs) and thermally relaxed ³MLCT, respectively. The distortion is primarily attributed to low frequency metal-Iigand and S=0 vibrational modes, which are intrinsically involved in the isomerization pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]