Injecting Electronic Excitation Energy into an Artificial Antenna System through an Ru2+ Complex

The Ru2+ complex [Ru(bpy)2(bpy‐ph4‐Si(CH3)3)]2+ can be electrostatically bound to the negatively charged channel entrances of dye‐loaded zeolite L crystals where it acts as a functional stopcock molecule. Impressive electronic triplet–singlet excitation energy transfer from the Ru2+ complex to the acceptor dye oxazine 1 (Ox1) located inside the channels can be observed when the donor molecule is selectively excited. Time‐resolved luminescence experiments have been performed on the separate components and on the assembled donor–acceptor material. The luminescence lifetime of the Ru2+ complex attached to the zeolite is reduced by a factor of 30 when Ox1 acceptor molecules are present. The fluorescence decay of Ox1 incorporated in zeolite L is single exponential with a lifetime of 3 ns. The much longer lifetime in zeolite L than in solution is due to the fact, that the diethyl groups are sterically restricted when the dye is inside the host. Well and truly stoppered! An Ru2+ complex was electrostatically bound to the negatively charged channel entrances of a dye loaded zeolite L as a functional stopcock molecule. Impressive electronic excitation energy transfer from the stopcock to the acceptor dyes located inside the channels can be observed when the Ru2+ complex is selectively excited (see figure).