Synthesis and Characterization of
bis-(Diimine)-Carbonyl-Pyridine-Osmium(II) Complexes
EliseG.
Megehee, Department of Chemistry, St. John’s College of
Liberal Arts and Sciences
Abstract: Osmium metal complexes
are of interest as they exhibit visible luminescence upon
excitation with visible or ultraviolet light and as such are
possible models of photosynthetic reaction center, possible energy
and electron transfer agents, and possible photochemical or
electrochemical reaction catalysts. Over the past year, my
students and I have synthesized a series bis-(diimine)-carbonyl
osmium(II) complexes containing pyridine, 4-phenylpyridine and
5-pyridyl-10,15,20-triphenylporphyrinato ligands. We will
discuss the synthesis and initial characterization of these
compounds by cyclic voltammetry, 1H, NMR, and UV-visible absorbance
spectroscopies. These compounds could be used as
photosensitizers in photochemical electron transfer, emission based
sensors for DNA, probes of DNA structure, and energy transfer
agents that model part of the photosynthetic process.