Triboluminescence of tris(2,2′-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) dichloride hexahydrate

The triboluminescence of tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) dichloride hexahydrate complex is detected during the mechanical grinding. The intense lines of N-2 in the UV region and a band at 619 nm appeared due to luminescence of [Ru(bpy) (3)](2+) ion and coincided with the photoluminescence spectrum of the crystals are observed in the emission spectrum in air. The luminescence of N-2 is due to electrification of the crystals during the destruction and subsequent discharges in the gas phase. We showed that the luminescence of [Ru(bpy)(3)](2+) does not occur due to absorption of UV luminescence of N-2, because there is only luminescence of the crystal in O-2 environment, whereas the luminescence of N-2 is completely suppressed. The intense lines coincided with those of Ne and Ar atoms in the electric discharge are observed in the triboluminescence spectra of ruthenium(II) complex in neon and argon environments. In this case, there is an increase in intensity of N-2 lines and of a band of [Ru (bpy)(3)](2+) due to more intense discharges than during the tribodestruction without inert gases. *OH radical is also detected in the triboluminescence spectrum due to mechanochemical decomposition of water molecules in the [Ru(bpy)(3)]Cl-2 center dot 6H(2)O crystalline hydrate.