Photoelectronic utility of photoinduced electron transfer by phosphorescent Ir(III) complexes

Intermolecular photoinduced electron transfer (PeT) has found a wide range of photoelectronic utility. One of the most notable examples includes the natural photosynthesis, where PeT between chlorophyll and quinone triggers photon-to-chemical energy conversion. We observed that phosphorescent Ir(III) complexes exhibited efficient PeT to trigger a cascade of catalytic intermolecular electron transfer among electrochemically active molecules. To establish the photoelectronic utility of PeT, a series of cyclometalated Ir(III) complexes were prepared and evaluated for photoelectrocatalytic conversion of dithienylethene (DTE) compounds. Selective photoexcitation of the Ir(III) complexes facilitated ultrafast PeT from DTE. The oxidative PeT initiated electrocatalytic cycloreversion of DTE, yielding one order of magnitude enhancement in quantum yields relative to direct photochromic conversion.