Solid state molecular device based on a rhenium(I) polypyridyl complex immobilized on TiO2 films.

The photochemical and photophysical behaviors of fac-[Re(CO)3(phen)(trans-stpyCOOH)](+) (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, trans-stpyCOOH = 4-[trans-(pyridin-4-yl-vinyl)]benzoic acid) in acetonitrile solution and adsorbed on a TiO2 film have been investigated. The trans-to-cis photoisomerization at 404 nm irradiation of coordinated stpyCOOH occurs efficiently in fluid solution as shown by quantum yield determined spectrophotometrically (Φ(UV-vis) = 0.37 ± 0.04) and, more accurately, by (1)H NMR (Φ(NMR) = 0.48 ± 0.04), following the photoproduct signals in the distinct region of the reactant. For the first time, the trans-to-cis isomerization is also reported for the complex adsorbed on the TiO2 surface (Φ(UV-vis) = 0.23 ± 0.03). The photoproduct, fac-[Re(CO)3(phen)(cis-stpyCOOH)](+), is emissive in acetonitrile (ϕ = 0.032), but its radiative decay is highly quenched on the oxide surface by electron photoinjection into the semiconductor, leading to an increasing photocurrent as the trans-to-cis isomerization takes place. Therefore, the photoinduced trans-to-cis isomerization of coordinated ligand immobilized on TiO2 films acts as a trigger for the electron injection process. This system exemplifies the use of photoinduced molecular motion to yield electrical current, which can be used as a "proof of concept" for molecular machines/devices.