Long lived charge separation in iridium(III)-photosensitized polyoxometalates: synthesis, photophysical and computational studies of organometallic–redox tunable oxide assemblies

Keggin and Dawson-type polyoxometalates (POMs) covalently grafted to heteroleptic cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes (POM-[Ir] dyads) have been prepared by postfunctionalization of organosilyl and organotin POM derivatives. Electronic properties of these 4 photosensitized POM-[Ir] dyads were evaluated by electrochemical measurements and theoretical calculations. These studies reveal that the electron acceptor character of the POMs vary with structural class (Keggin vs. Dawson) and chemical anchorage (organosilyl vs. organotin); they reveal the poor electronic interaction between the POMs and the chromophores. Combined transient absorption and spectroelectrochemical measurements provide evidence for the formation of photoinduced electron transfer from the chromophore to the POM. The lifetimes of the charge-separated states (ranging from ns to hundreds of ns) are the longest values reported for covalently bonded photosensitized POMs. The functionalization of the heteroleptic cyclometalated iridium(III) on the picolinate ligand provides directionality to the photoinduced electron transfer by enhancing charge separation and delaying charge recombination The kinetics of the photoinduced electron transfers are rationalized by Marcus theory. We conclude that the charge separation and charge recombination respectively occur in the Marcus normal and inverted regions.