Two in One: A Dinuclear Ru(II) Complex for Deep-Red Light-Emitting Electrochemical Cells and as an Electrochemiluminescence Probe for Organophosphorus Pesticides

The emissive properties of two Ru(II) complexes, [Ru(dmbipy)(2)L-1]PF6 (1) and [Ru-2(dmbipy)(4)L-2]PF6 (2), (where L-1 and L-2 are pi-extended phenanthroline-based ligands and dmbipy = 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine) have been explored for dual applications, namely, deep-red light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs) and electrochemiluminescence (ECL) sensors for the detection of organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) that include chlorpyrifos (CPS). A simple single-layer deep-red LEC device comprising 2 is reported that outperforms both its mononuclear derivative 1 and all previously reported dinuclear LECs, with a maximum brightness of 524 cd/m(2), an external quantum efficiency of 0.62%, and a turn-on voltage of 3.2 V. Optoelectronic studies reveal that the ECL response of 2 is improved when compared to its mononuclear counterpart 1 and benchmark Ru(bipy)(3) (3). Modified glassy carbon electrodes coated with 2 are highly sensitive deep-red ECL sensors that facilitate the detection of CPS directly from river water and fruit samples without any complex pretreatment steps, operating over a broad logarithmic concentration range, with a low detection limit.