Transient absorption studies of the Ru(dcbpy)2(NCS)2 excited state and the dye cation on nanocrystalline TiO2 film

We have measured dynamics of the Ru(dcbpy)2(NCS)2 [dcbpy = 4,4′-dicarboxy-2,2′-bipyridine] excited state and the dye cation on nanocrystalline TiO2 film in the wavelength region 700–900 nm. The dye in ethanol solution and Ru(dcbpy)2(NCS)2 sensitized nanocrystalline Al2O3 films were used as non-injecting reference samples for excited state identification. For TiO2/Ru(dcbpy)2(NCS)2 film the `reactantʹ decay and `productʹ formation kinetics observed at different probe wavelengths showed that the resolved transient absorption picosecond components (1.1±0.2), (12±2) and (100±5) ps are related to electron injection from the excited states of the dye to the semiconductor TiO2.