Kazunori Uchida, Akiko Inagaki, Munetaka Akita
ORGANOMETALLICS 26(20) 5030-5041 2007年9月
A series of organoruthenium complexes containing photochromic 1,2-di(2-methylthien-3-yl)-3,3,4,4,5,5-hexafluorocyclopentene fragments (DTE), DTE-(RRuLm)(n) (RRuLm = (eta(6)-C6H5)Ru(eta(5)-C5Me5) (I): n = 1 (3), 2 (4); (eta(6)-C6H5)RuCl2(PPh3) (II): n = 1 (10), 2 (11); (eta(5)-C5Me4)Ru(CO)(2) (III): n = 1 (25), 2 (24); substituted at the 5-position of the thiophene ring), are prepared and characterized by H-1 NMR and UV-vis spectroscopy, and molecular structures of the 1:2 adducts 4, 11, and 24 are determined by X-ray crystallography, which reveals the antiparallel conformation of the two thiophene rings suitable for photocyclization, causing the photochromism. It is revealed that the metalated DTE derivatives show photochromic behavior through the photochemical, electrocyclic conrotatory ring-closing and -opening processes in a manner analogous to the organic counterparts, but the efficiency of the photochromic processes is dependent on the attached metal fragments. The cationic Cp*Ru(eta(6)-arene)-type (I) and neutral Cp*Ru(CO)(2)Cl-type complexes (III) show photochromic behavior (content of the closed isomers at the UV photostationary states: 25-88%), and subsequent visible light irradiation of the equilibrated mixtures reverts the process to afford the open forms quantitatively. The ring-closing and -opening processes are reversible and can be repeated without notable deterioration. As for the series of Ph derivatives of I (1, 3, and 4), metalation improves the efficiency of the ring-closing process. In contrast to these derivatives, no significant photochromic behavior is noted for the benzo-fused derivatives of I, and UV irradiation of II (10 and 11) causes irreversible dissociation of the arene ligand (DTE).