Date of Graduation

Spring 2012

Degree

Master of Science in Chemistry

Department

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Committee Chair

Mark Richter

Abstract

The electrochemistry, UV-visible absorption, photoluminescence (PL), and electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) of Ru(bpy)32+ (where bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine), (bpy)2Ru(DM-bpy)2+ (DM-bpy = 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine), and (bpy)2Ru(DC-bpy)2+ (DC-bpy = 4,4'-dicarboxy-2,2'-bipyridine) have been obtained in aqueous solution containing ionic liquids (ILs). Tri-n-propylamine (TPrA) was used as the oxidative-reductive ECL coreactant. Minor shifts in the RuII/RuIII oxidation potential and no shifts in the UV-visible absorbance and photoluminescence emission maxima were observed in the presence of the IL 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethylsulfate ([emim][EtSO4]). However, dramatic increases in ECL intensities between 2.4- and 3.5-fold were observed when [emim][EtSO4] was present for ruthenium systems while both enhancement and attenuation of the ECL intensity were observed when a series of butyl-imidazolium ILs were studied. Experiments indicate that the adsorption of the IL occurs at the electrode surface, favoring the co-localization of luminophore and coreactant within the adsorbate layer, leading to changes in ECL intensities.

Keywords

electrogenerated chemiluminescence, ionic liquids, ECL enhancement, electrochemistry, phosphorescence

Subject Categories

Chemistry

Copyright

© Jared Franklin Roop

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