Stabilization of Ruthenium Sensitizers to TiO2 Surfaces through Cooperative Anchoring Groups

Cooperative binding of a bis(tridentate) ruthenium(II) complex to a TiO2 surface through carboxylate and phosphonate groups is demonstrated to be an effective method for achieving a robust anchoring motif in aqueous media while maintaining charge transfer from the dye into the semiconductor. The realization of these complementary goals has broad implications for solar cells and (photo)electrocatalytic schemes.