Synthesis and Electrochemical and Photophysical Characterization of New 4,4′‐π‐Conjugated 2,2′‐Bipyridines that are End‐Capped with Cyanoacrylic Acid/Ester Groups

Two new functionalized 4,4′‐disubstituted 2,2′‐bipyridines that were end‐capped with cyanoacrylic acid or cyanoacrylic acid ester anchoring groups, which might allow their efficient functionalization on TiO(2) or other metal‐oxide semiconductor surfaces, have been synthesized and characterized by electrochemical, photophysical, and spectroscopic measurements. The electrochemical and photophysical properties of these 4,4′‐disubstituted 2,2′‐bipyridines with extended π systems, in particular their LUMO energies, make them promising candidates to build up inorganic–organic hybrid photosensitizers for the sensitization of metal‐oxide semiconductors (e.g., TiO(2) nanoparticles and/or nanotubes).