The quenching (eta(q)) and subsequent cage-escape efficiency (eta(ce)) have been measured for three arena-linked ruthenium trisbipyridine complexes quenched by methyl viologen (MV2+). The bichromophoric complexes are of the type [Ru(bpy)(2)(4-methyl-4＇-(2-arylethyl)-2,2-byridine)](2+)(ClO4-)(2) where aryl 2-naphthyl ([Ru]naphthalene), 1-pyrenyl ([Ru]-pyrene), and 9-anthryl ([Ru]-anthracene). The overall yield of MV.+ is given by the product eta(q)eta(ce), which depends both on specific solvent effects and on the nature of the quenched excited state of the bichromophore, i.e., whether it is a metal-to-ligand charge transfer ((MLCT)-M-3) or aromatic tripler slate. In aqueous buffer the production of MV.+ is low for the three bichromophores (<10%). Ln methanol and acetonitrile MV.+ yields for [Ru]-anthracene and [Ru]-pyrene are >70%, reflecting the arene tripler character of the lowest excited state. This increase is due to an increase in the cage-escape efficiency (eta(ce)) in these solvents. In contrast, for [Ru]-naphthalene the lowest excited state is (MLCT)-M-3 in character and the yield of MV.+ in acetonitrile and methanol remains <10%. NMR spectra of the linking ethane group suggest that the bichromophores adopt different conformations in the different solvents, which could lead to the observed differences in eta(ce).