The ‘dendritic effect’ on the electrochemical properties of an encapsulated redox center: correlation of size exclusion chromatography data and redox reversibility of electrochemically active homoleptic and heteroleptic ruthenium(II)-bis(terpyridine) meta

A series of homoleptic and heteroleptic ruthenium(II)-bis(terpyridine) metallodendrimers bearing an electrochemically active unit encapsulated in a polyether dendritic envelope was prepared. Cyclic voltammetry studies on these dendrimers indicated the decrease of redox reversibility correlated well to the size exclusion chromatography data. The results suggest that electron transfer between the electrode and the buried redox center does not have any orientation preference.