Synthesis of fluorinated ReCl(4,4'-R2-2,2'-bipyridine)(CO)3 complexes and their photophysical characterization in CH3CN and supercritical CO2.

Two new CO(2)-soluble rhenium(I) bipyridine complexes bearing the fluorinated alkyl ligands 4,4'-(C(6)F(13)CH(2)CH(2)CH(2))(2)-2,2'-bipyridine (1a), and 4,4'-(C(8)F(17)CH(2)CH(2)CH(2))(2)-2,2'-bipyridine (1b) have been prepared and their photophysical properties investigated in CH(3)CN and supercritical CO(2). Electrochemical and spectroscopic characterization of these complexes in CH(3)CN suggests that the three methylene units effectively insulate the bipyridyl rings and the rhenium center from the electron-withdrawing effect of the fluorinated alkyl chains. Reductive quenching of the metal-to-ligand charge-transfer excited states with triethylamine reveals quenching rate constants in supercritical CO(2) that are only 6 times slower than those in CH(3)CN.