Stabilization of Ruthenium Sensitizers to TiO2 Surfaces through Cooperative Anchoring Groups

Cooperative binding of a bis­(tridentate) ruthenium­(II) complex to a TiO2 surface through carboxylate and phosphonate groups is demonstrated to be an effective method for achieving a robust anchoring motif in aqueous media while maintaining charge transfer from the dye into the semiconductor. The realization of these complementary goals has broad implications for solar cells and (photo)­electrocatalytic schemes.