ELECTROCHEMICAL ELABORATION OF THIN-FILMS OF POLY[RUII(L)(CO)2CL2] (L= 4-(2-PYRROL-1-YLETHYL)-4'-METHYL-2,2'-BIPYRIDINE OR (3-PYRROL-1-YLPROPYLOXY)CARBONYL)-2,2'-BIPYRIDINE) - PHOTOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND PHOTOIMAGING

Thin films of poly[Ru(L)(CO)2Cl2] complexes (L = 4-(2-pyrrol-1-ylethyl )-4'-methyl-2,2'-bipyridine (L1) or ((3-pyrrol-1-ylpropyloxy)carbonyl) -2,2'-bipyridine (L2)) have been prepared by anodic electropolymerizat ion of the corresponding monomeric complexes on platinum and indium-ti n oxide (ITO) electrodes. The electrochemical and spectroelectrochemic al properties of these films have been investigated in CH3CN. Photolys is at 366 nm of the films immersed in CH3CN leads to successive photos ubstitutions of the two CO ligands and of the one Cl- ligand by CH3CN for the poly complex with L = L1 while only the first two photosubstit utions occur for L = L2. On the basis of the photochemistry (mono-CH3C N photosubstitution essentially), images can be created in the films b y using masking techniques. In a subsequent step, the unphotolyzed are a can be removed from the electrode surface by electrolysis. This proc edure left a spacially controlled image of the original mask as a film of poly[Ru(L)(CO)(CH3CN)Cl2].