A ruthenium polypyridyl complex has been synthesized and examined as an emitter material in thin film electroluminescent devices. This material exhibits photoluminescent and electroluminescent effects as well as several reversible one‐electron oxidation and reduction processes. Electroluminescent devices fabricated from this ruthenium complex either via spin coating methods or self‐assembly techniques exhibit relatively high electroluminescent efficiencies and luminance levels in some cases as high as 100 cd/m2.