Direct detection of the photoinduced charge-separated state in a Ru(<scp>ii</scp>) bis(terpyridine)–polyoxometalate molecular dyad

Observation of photoinduced intramolecular charge-separation is difficult for photosensitizer-POM dyads because of rapid backward electron transfer. We report here for the first time on a long-lived charge-separated state (τ = 470 ns) observed in a Ru(ii) bis(terpyridine)-based dyad. Charge-separation occurs despite virtually no driving force and the short intrinsic excited-state lifetime of the photosensitizer.