A series of three highly charged cationic ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes of the general formula [Ru(deeb)(3-x)(tmam)(x)] (PF6)(2x+2), where deeb is 4,4'-diethyl ester-2,2'-bipyridine and tmam is 4,4'-bis[(trimethylamino)-methyl]-2,2'-bipyridine, were synthesized and characterized and are referred to as 1, 2, or 3 based on the number of tmam ligands. Crystals suitable for X-ray crystallography were obtained for the homoleptic complex 3, which was found to possess D-3 symmetry over the entire ruthenium complex. The complexes displayed visible absorption spectra typical of metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) transitions. In acetonitrile, quasi-reversible waves were assigned to Ru-III/(II) electron transfer, with formal reduction potentials that shifted negative as the number of tmam ligands was increased. Room temperature photoluminescence was observed in acetonitrile with quantum yields of phi similar to 0.1 and lifetimes of tau similar to 2 mu s. The spectroscopic and electrochemical data were most consistent with excited-state localization on the deeb ligand for 1 and 2 and on the tmam ligand for 3. The addition of tetrabutylammonium iodide to the complexes dissolved in a CH3CN solution led to changes in the UV-vis absorption spectra consistent with ion pairing. A Benesi-Hildebrand-type analysis of these data revealed equilibrium constants that increased with the cationic charge 1 < 2 < 3 with K = 4000, 4400, and 7000 M-1. H-1 NMR studies in CD3CN also revealed evidence for iodide ion pairs and indicated that they occur predominantly with iodide localization near the tmam ligand(s). The diastereotopic H atoms on the methylene carbon that link the amine to the bipyridine ring were uniquely sensitive to the presence of iodide; analysis revealed that an iodide "binding pocket" exists wherein iodide forms an adduct with the 3 and 3' bipyridyl H atoms and the quaternized amine. The MLCT excited states were efficiently quenched by iodide. Time-resolved photoluminescence measurements of 1 revealed a static component consistent with rapid electron transfer from iodide in the "binding pocket" to the Ru metal center in the excited state, k(et) > 10(8) s(-1). The possible relevance of this work to solar energy conversion and dye-sensitized solar cells is discussed.