Incorporation of perylene and naphthalene like ligands into ruthenium complexes: Synthesis, photophysical properties and electrochemistry

Functionalisation of ruthenium complexes with rylene diimides, a class of organic molecules based on a naphthalene scaffold connected through a peri-substitution pattern and capped by electron withdrawing imide functional groups, has grown in interest in recent years. These complexes exhibit favourable chemical, photophysical and electrochemical properties that can be combined with straightforward synthetic methodologies. These highly conjugated molecular architectures have garnered interest in various research fields, as they can be coordinated to a wide range of metal moieties. Consequently, such assemblies can promote absorption of visible light and improve the efficacy of their respective compounds for use in various applications. This Review focusses on the current state of research and developments in the field of ruthenium naphthalene diimides (Ru-NDIs) and ruthenium perylene diimides (Ru-PDIs). It provides an overview of the photophysical and electrochemical properties, potential applications, and synthetic approaches for the core expansion of ruthenium naphthalene and perylene diimides.