Complexes as ligands strategy

This section summarizes work carried out on polynuclear complexes containing M(bpy)2 units, an area in which there is much interest, in particular with respect to energy transfer. Dendritic systems are excluded from this review, but are covered elsewhere in CCC The complexes-as-ligands strategy is commonly exploited for the controlled construction of multinuclear complexes and examples are seen in this section. 

The typical approach used to prepare polynuclear metal complexes is the so-called complexes as metals and complexes as ligands strategy, briefly illustrated... 

Bpy-type ligands (including phen, tpy and a vast range of substituted derivatives) may be assembled with a number of different metal centres to give versatile photochemical devices via the complexes as metals/complexes as ligands strategy (Scheme 11.1). If we envisage the synthesis of a mononuclear... 

Scheme 11.1 The complexes as metals/complexes as ligands strategy - a ruthenium (II) complex acts as a ligand for an osmium(II) complex.

Scheme 11.2 Dendrimer construction via the complexes-as-metals/complexes-as-ligands strategy -dendrimer generation increases ascending the diagram but growth is terminated by the horizontal processes.

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