Formation of singlet oxygen in the system tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II)–dimethyldioxirane

Decomposition of dimethyldioxirane in the presence of tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II) complex (Ru^II) is accompanied by chemiluminescence (CL) in the infrared spectrum region (1270 nm) due to the formation of singlet oxygen; reaction between Ru^III and superoxide ion, which is formed in this process via a sequence of electron-transfer reactions, is assumed to be a CL step.