PROTECTING EFFECT OF DITHIOLATOCOBALT(III ) COMPLEXES AGAINST PHOTODECOMPOSITION OF A CYANINE DYE

The protecting effect of dithiolatocobalt(III) complexes of the type [ CpCo(S(2)C(2)X(2))] (M) against photodegradation of a cyanine dye ',3' ,5-hexamethyl-2,2'-benzo[e']indodicarbocyanine perchlorate (D) was stu died in a thin layer film system for digital recording and in an aceto nitrile solution for the mechanistic examination. The dithiolatocobalt (M) show much higher protecting effect than his (benzene-1,2-dithiola to) nickel complexes which are used industrially. The protecting effec t of dithiolatocobalt complexes is due to the quenching of the excited triplet state of D as well as due to the quenching of singlet oxygen.