Mono- and dinuclear ruthenium(II) 1,6,7,12-tetraazaperylene complexes.

We report the synthesis of free 1,6,7,12-tetraazaperylene (tape). Tape was obtained from 1,1'-bis-2,7-naphthyridine by potassium promoted cyclization followed by oxidation with air. Mono- and dinuclear ruthenium(II) 1,6,7,12-tetraazaperylene complexes of the general formulas Ru(L-L)(2)(tape)(2), 1(2)-5(2), and {Ru(L-L)(2)}(2)(μ-tape)(4), 6(4)-10(4), with{L-L = phen, bpy, dmbpy (4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine), dtbbpy (4,4'-ditertbutyl-2,2'-bipyridine) and tmbpy (4,4'5,5'-tetramethyl-2,2'-bipyridine)}, respectively, were synthesized. The X-ray structures of tape·2CHCl(3) and the mononuclear complexes Ru(bpy)(2)(tape)(2)·0.5CH(3)CN·0.5toluene, Ru(dmbpy)(2)(tape)(2)·2toluene and Ru(dtbbpy)(2)(tape)(2)·3acetone·0.5H(2)O were solved. The UV-vis absorption spectra and the electrochemical behavior of the ruthenium(ii) tape complexes were explored and compared with the data of the analogous dibenzoeilatin (dbneil), 2,2'-bipyrimidine (bpym) and tetrapyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c:3'',2''-h:2''',3'''-j]phenazin (tpphz) species.