Electron injection dynamics of Ru polypyridyl complexes on SnO2 nanocrystalline thin films

Ultrafast infrared spectroscopy was utilized to investigate the electron -transfer dynamics from Ru(dcbpy)(2)(X)(2) complexes (dcbpy = 4,4'-dicarboxy-2,2'-bipyridine; X-2 = SCN-, 2CN(-), and dcbpy; referenced as RuN3, Ru505, and Ru470, respectively) to nanocrystalline SnO2 films. For both films exposed to air (dry) and submerged in a pH 2 buffer solution, all traces show biphasic dynamics with a small ultrafast component (less than 10%) and nonexponential slow component, indicating that most injection occurs from thermalized excited state of the dye. In the dry film, the injection rate becomes slower, comparing RuN3, Ru505, and Ru470, correlating with decreasing excited-state oxidation potentials in these dyes. However, the variation of injection rate with dye potential is less noticeable at pH 2. The possible reason for the different injection dynamics in these dyes and under different environments are discussed. These injection dynamics are also compared with those on TiO2 and ZnO.