Synthesis and spectroscopic studies of transition-metal fullerene supramolecular systems

•We have prepared transition metal complexes of a new fullerene–bipyridine ligand.•We have completed a detailed photophysical characterization of the ligand and complexes.•For the ligand the excited-state manifold exhibits independent states on the fullerene and bipyridine.•For the complex the ligand excited states are still predominant along with a dark charge separated state.•Characteristics representing MLCT behavior occurs only in reduced temperatures but do occur for both the rhenium and ruthenium complexes.

A new ligand has been designed that provides a relatively simple framework to build supramolecular systems containing both fullerene and transition metal moieties. The modular framework of the ligand allows for the easy design of more complex systems. Analysis of absorption and emission spectra suggests significant photoinduced charge transfer between the two moieties. More complex systems and the excited-state photophysics of the presented systems are being studied.

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