Energy transfer mediated by asymmetric hydrogen-bonded interfaces.

Amidine-appended ferrocene derivatives form a supramolecular assembly with Ru(ii)(bpy-COOH) (L)22+ complexes (bpy-COOH is 4-CO2H-4'-CH3-bpy and L = bpy, 2,2'-bipyridine or btfmbpy, 4,4'-bis (trifluoromethyl)-2,2'-bipyridine). Steady-state, time-resolved spectroscopy and kinetic isotope effects establish that the metal-to-ligand charge transfer excited states of the Ru(ii) complexes are quenched by proton-coupled energy transfer (PCEnT). These results show that proton motion can be effective in mediating not only electron transfer (ET) but energy transfer (EnT) as well.