Strongly visible light-absorbing metal–organic frameworks functionalized by cyclometalated ruthenium(ii) complexes

Four different ruthenium(ii) complexes were incorporated into the metal–organic framework (MOF) UiO-67 using three different synthetic strategies: premade linker synthesis, postsynthetic functionalization, and postsynthetic linker exchange. One of these complexes was of the type (N–N)(3)Ru(2+), and three of the complexes were of the type (N–N)(2)(N–C)Ru(+), where N–N is a bipyridine-type ligand and N–C is a cyclometalated phenylpyridine-type ligand. The resulting materials were characterized by PXRD, SC-XRD (the postsynthetic functionalization MOFs), N(2) sorption, TGA-DSC, SEM, EDS, and UV-Vis spectroscopy, and were digested in base for subsequent (1)H NMR analysis. The absorption profiles of the MOFs that were functionalized with cyclometalated Ru(ii) complexes extend significantly further into the visible region of the spectrum compared to the absorption profiles of the MOFs that were functionalized with the non-cyclometalated reference, (N–N)(3)Ru(2+).