The complexes [Ru(NCCH3)4bpy]2+ and [Ru([14]aneS4)bpy]2+ ([14]aneS4 = 1,4,8,11-tetrathiacyclotetradecane, bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine) have similar absorption and emission spectra but the 77 K metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) excited state emission lifetime of the latter is less than 0.3% that of the former. Density functional theory modeling of the lowest energy triplet excited states indicates that triplet metal centered (3MC) excited states are about 3500 cm−1 lower in energy than their 3MLCT excited states in both complexes. The differences in excited state lifetimes arise from a much larger coordination sphere distortion for [Ru(NCCH3)4bpy]2+ and the associated larger reorganizational barrier for intramolecular electron transfer. The smaller ruthenium ligand distortions of the [Ru([14]aneS4)bpy]2+ complex are apparently a consequence of stereochemical constraints imposed by the macrocyclic [14]aneS4 ligand, and the 3MC excited state calculated for the unconstrained [Ru(S(CH3)2)4bpy]2+ complex (S(CH3)2 = dimethyl sulfide) is distorted in a manner similar to that of [Ru(NCCH3)4bpy]2+. Despite the lower energy calculated for its 3MC than 3MLCT excited state, [Ru(NCCH3)4bpy]2+ emits strongly in 77 K glasses with an emission quantum yield of 0.47. The emission is biphasic with about a 1 μs lifetime for its dominant (86%) emission component. The 405 nm excitation used in these studies results in a significant amount of photodecomposition in the 77 K glasses. This is a temperature-dependent biphotonic process that most likely involves the bipyridine-radical anionic moiety of the 3MLCT excited state. A smaller than expected value found for the radiative rate constant is consistent with a lower energy 3MC than 3MLCT state.
