Step-scan FTIR time-resolved spectroscopy ((SFTIR)-F-2 TRS) in acetonitrile-d(3) has been used to probe the acceptor ligand in metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) excited states of amide-substituted polypyridyl complexes of Ru-II and in analogues appended to polystyrene. On the basis of ground-to-excited state shifts in v(C=O) of -31 cm(-1) for the amide group in [Ru-II(bpy)(2)(bpyCONHEt')](2+) (bpyCONHEt' = 4'-methyl-2,2'-bipyridine-4-carboxamide-Et'; Et' = -CH(2)CH(2)BzCH(2)CH(3)) (1) and in the derivatized polystyrene abbreviated {PS-[CH(2)CH(2)NHCObpy-Ru-II(bpy)(2)](20)}(40+) (3), the excited-state dipole is directed toward the amide-containing pyridyl group in the polymer side chain. Smaller shifts in v(C=O) of -17 cm(-1) in [Ru-II(4,4'-(CONEt2)(2)bPY)(2)(bpyCONHEt')](2+) (2) and in the derivatized polystyrene abbreviated {PS-[CH(2)CH(2)NHCObpy-Ru-II(4,4'-(CONEt2)(2)bpy)(2)](20)}(40+) (4) indicate that the excited-state dipole is directed toward one of the diamide bpy ligands. The nearly identical results for 1. and 3 and for 2 and 4 show that the molecular and electronic structures of the monomer excited states are largely retained in the polymer samples. These conclusions about dipole orientation in the polymers are potentially of importance in understanding intrastrand energy transfer dynamics. The excited-state dipole in 3 is oriented in the direction of the covalent link to the polymer backbone, and toward nearest neighbors. In 4, it is oriented away from the backbone.