Stoichiometric photoisomerization of mononuclear ruthenium(II) monoaquo complexes controlling redox properties and water oxidation catalysis.

Although various reactions involved in photoexcited states of polypyridyl ruthenium(II) complexes have been extensively studied, photoisomerization of the complexes is very rare. We report the first illustration of stoichiometric photoisomerization of trans-Ru(tpy)(pynp)OH(2) (1a) [tpy = 2,2':6',2''-terpyridine; pynp = 2-(2-pyridyl)-1,8-naphthyridine] to cis-Ru(tpy)(pynp)OH(2) (1a') and the isolation of 1a and 1a' for X-ray crystallographic analysis. Polypyridyl ruthenium(II) aquo complexes are attracting much attention related to proton-coupled electron transfer and water oxidation catalysis. We demonstrate that the photoisomerization significantly controls the redox reactions and water oxidation catalyses involving the ruthenium(II) aquo complexes 1a and 1a'.