Proton-coupled electron shuttling in a covalently linked ruthenium-copper heterodinuclear complex.

A heterodinuclear complex based on a Ru(II)-TPA [TPA = tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine] complex having a peripheral Cu(II)(bpy)(2) (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) group bonded through an amide linkage displayed reversible intramolecular electron transfer between the Ru and Cu complex units that can be controlled by protonation and deprotonation of the bridging amide moiety.