The stepwise generation of multimetallic complexes based on a vinylbipyridine linkage and their photophysical properties.

The versatile rhenium complex [ReCl(CO) ₃ (bpyC[triple bond, length as m-dash]CH)] (HC[triple bond, length as m-dash]Cbpy = 5-ethynyl-2,2'-bipyridine) is used to generate a series of bimetallic complexes through the hydrometallation of [MHCl(CO)(BTD)(PPh ₃ ) ₂ ] (M = Ru, Os; BTD = 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole). The ruthenium complex [Ru{CH[double bond, length as m-dash]CH-bpyReCl(CO) ₃ }Cl(BTD)(CO)(PPh ₃ ) ₂ ] was characterised structurally. Ligand exchange reactions with bifunctional linkers bearing oxygen and sulfur donors provide access to tetra- and pentametallic complexes such as [{M{CH[double bond, length as m-dash]CH-bpyReCl(CO) ₃ }(CO)(PPh ₃ ) ₂ } ₂ (S ₂ CNC ₄ H ₈ NCS ₂ )] and Fe[C ₅ H ₄ CO ₂ M{CH[double bond, length as m-dash]CH-bpyReCl(CO) ₃ }(CO)(PPh ₃ ) ₂ ] ₂ . The effect of the group 8 metal on the photophysical properties of the rhenium centre was investigated using the complexes [Ru{CH[double bond, length as m-dash]CH-bpyReCl(CO) ₃ }Cl(BTD)(CO)(PPh ₃ ) ₂ ] and [M{CH[double bond, length as m-dash]CH-bpyReCl(CO) ₃ }{S ₂ P(OEt) ₂ }(CO)(PPh ₃ ) ₂ ] (M = Ru, Os). This revealed the quenching of the rhenium-based emission in favour of weak radiative processes based on the Ru and Os centres. The potential for exploiting this effect is illustrated by the reaction of [Ru{CH[double bond, length as m-dash]CH-bpyReCl(CO) ₃ }Cl(CO)(BTD)(PPh ₃ ) ₂ ] with carbon monoxide, which results in a 5-fold fluorescence enhancement in the dicarbonyl product, [Ru{CH[double bond, length as m-dash]CH-bpyReCl(CO) ₃ }Cl(CO) ₂ (PPh ₃ ) ₂ ], as the quenching effect is disrupted.