Photoresponsive molecular memory films were fabricated by a layer-by-layer (LbL) assembling of two dinuclear Ru complexes with tetrapodal phosphonate anchors, containing either 2,3,5,6-tetra(2-pyridyl)pyrazine or 1,2,4,5-tetra(2-pyridyl)benzene as a bridging ligand (Ru-NP and Ru-CP, respectively), using zirconium phosphonate to link the layers. Various types of multilayer homo- and heterostructures were constructed. In the multilayer heterofilms such as ITO||(Ru-NP)m |(Ru-CP)n , the difference in redox potentials between Ru-NP and Ru-CP layers was approximately 0.7 V, which induced a potential gradient determined by the sequence of the layers. In the ITO||(Ru-NP)m |(Ru-CP)n multilayer heterofilms, the direct electron transfer (ET) from the outer Ru-CP layers to the ITO were observed to be blocked for m>2, and charge trapping in the outer Ru-CP layers became evident from the appearance of an intervalence charge transfer (IVCT) band at 1140 nm from the formation of the mixed-valent state of Ru-CP units, resulting from the reductive ET mediation of the inner Ru-NP layers. Therefore, the charging/discharging ("1"and "0") states in the outer Ru-CP layers could be addressed and interconverted by applying potential pulses between -0.5 and +0.7 V. The two states could be read out by the direction of the photocurrent (anodic or cathodic). The molecular heterolayer films thus represent a typical example of a photoresponsive memory device; that is, the writing process may be achieved by the applied potential (-0.5 or +0.7 V), while the readout process is achieved by measuring the direction of the photocurrent (anodic or cathodic). Sequence-sensitive multilayer heterofilms, using redox-active complexes as building blocks, thus demonstrate great potential for the design of molecular functional devices.

New dinuclear ruthenium or osmium complexes with cyclometalated bonds in either tridentate bridging (BL) or ancillary ligands (L), [(L)M(BL)M(L)] (where M = Ru, Os; L = bis(N-methylbenzimidazolyl)pyridine, -benzene; BL= tetrapyridylpyrazine (tppz), -benzene (tpb)), were synthesized, and their mixed-valence-state characteristics were investigated. All of the complexes showed successive one-electron redox processes, each of which correspond to M(II/III) (M = Ru, Os) or ligand reduction waves. In addition, an M(III/IV) couple was observed in cyclometalated [M2(bis(benzimidazolyl)benzene)2(BL)] complexes (M = Ru, Os). Effects of the cyclometalated bonds on the redox behaviors and the accessibility to the mixed-valence M(II)–M(III) dinuclear complexes are discussed. Introduction of a cyclometalated bond induced a large negative potential shift in the redox potentials of dinuclear ruthenium and osmium complexes, depending on either bridging or ancillary sites of the cyclometalated bonds: the change falls within the range of −1.0 to −1.2 V for the bridging sites and −0.65 to −0.7 V for the ancillary ones. This large negative potential shift arises from the strong electron-donating property of the phenyl anion in a metal–C bond. Replacing the ruthenium by osmium in the dinuclear complexes with the same bridging ligand results in an increase of the potential separation (ΔE(1)) and the comproportionation constant (K com) of the mixed-valence complexes having the tppz bridging ligand (ΔE(1) and K com values: Os > Ru); however, complexes having the tpb bridging ligand showed the opposite trend (ΔE(1) and K com: Os < Ru). In addition to the results of EPR and DFT calculation, it was found that the orbital energy levels of the central metal ion (namely, either Ru or Os) in the mixed-valence complex determines the degree of orbital mixing between metal dπ orbitals and bridging-ligand π or π* orbitals, which leads to either hole- or electron-transfer exchange mechanisms.

The ancillary ligands 4'-(4-pyridyl)-2,2':6',2''-terpyridine and 4'-(2,3-dihydrobenzo[b]thiophene)-2,2'-6',2"-terpyridine were used to synthesize two series of mono- and dinuclear ruthenium complexes differing in their lengths and anchoring groups. The electrochemical and single-molecular conductance properties of these two series of ruthenium complexes were studied experimentally by means of cyclic voltammetry and the scanning tunneling microscopy-break junction technique (STM-BJ) and theoretically by means of density functional theory (DFT). Cyclic voltammetry data showed clear redox peaks corresponding to both the metal- and ligand-related redox reactions. Single-molecular conductance demonstrated an exponential decay of the molecular conductance with the increase in molecular length for both the series of ruthenium complexes, with decay constants of βPY =2.07±0.1 nm(-1) and βBT =2.16±0.1 nm(-1) , respectively. The contact resistance of complexes with 2,3-dihydrobenzo[b]thiophene (BT) anchoring groups is found to be smaller than the contact resistance of ruthenium complexes with pyridine (PY) anchors. DFT calculations support the experimental results and provided additional information on the electronic structure and charge transport properties in those metal|ruthenium complex|metal junctions.

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Molecular multilayers were fabricated using a Ru complex containing Fe cations on an indium tin oxide surface to control the properties of the Ru-complex multilayers such as the multilayer orientation and the electron transport. The Ru-complex multilayer films containing Fe cations were thicker than those containing Zr cations, which have been used previously. The electron transport properties of the multilayers containing Fe cations were evaluated. Solid-state sandwich cell measurements showed that the Ru-complex multilayer films containing Fe cations exhibited increased electron transport with a lower transport coefficient β of 0.01 Å(-1), whereas those that contain Zr cations have β ∼ 0.07 Å(-1). Thus, Fe cations are effective in obtaining thicker Ru-complex layers with increased electron transport abilities.