Solvothermal Growth and Photophysical Characterization of a Ruthenium(II) Tris(2,2′-Bipyridine)-Doped Zirconium UiO-67 Metal Organic Framework Thin Film

A thin film of a RuII(bpy)2(dcbpy)Cl2, RuDCBPY, doped metal–organic framework of Zr6O4(OH)4(bpdc)6, RuDCBPY-UiO67 (where bpy is 2,2′-bipyridine, dcbpy is 5,5′-dicarboxyphenyl-2,2′-bipyridine, and bpdc is 4,4′-biphenyldicarboxylic acid), has been prepared on fluorine-doped tin oxide and glass slides solvothermally. The film is shown to be isostructural with UiO-67 and similarly doped RuDCBPY-UiO67 powders. The photophysical properties of the film show significant line broadening of the diffuse reflectance spectra, a successive red shift of the emission maxima, and biphasic kinetics with increased RuDCBPY doping of UiO-67 films above 10 mm. The two lifetime components are consistent with a dual population of RuDCBPY within the UiO-67 material: a population of RuDCBPY incorporated into the framework of UiO-67 replacing a bpdc ligand and a second population of RuDCBPY encapsulated within the octahedral cavities. The RuDCBPY dopant within the UiO-67 films interact with each other and undergo self-quenching via a resonance energy transfer mechanism. It was determined that the average distance between RuDCBPY is decreased in the film relative to similarly doped powders. This is attributed to an electrostatic effect upon formation of the framework due to increased charge at the bpdc self-assembled monolayer at the surface of the substrate.