A new family of spin crossover complexes with a tripod ligand containing three imidazoles: synthesis, characterization, and magnetic properties of [FeIIH3LMe](NO3)2.1.5H2O, [FeIIILMe].3.5H2O, [FeIIH3LMe][FeIILMe]NO3, and [FeIIH3LMe][FeIIILMe](NO3)2 (H3LMe) = Tris[2-(((2-methylimidazol-4-yl)methylidene)amino)ethyl]amine)

Inorg Chem. 2003 Nov 3;42(22):7001-17. doi: 10.1021/ic034495f.

Abstract

A new family of spin crossover complexes, [Fe(II)H(3)L(Me)](NO(3))(2).1.5H(2)O (1), [Fe(III)L(Me)].3.5H(2)O (2), [Fe(II)H(3)L(Me)][Fe(II)L(Me)]NO(3) (3), and [Fe(II)H(3)L(Me)][Fe(III)L(Me)](NO(3))(2) (4), has been synthesized and characterized, where H(3)L(Me) denotes a hexadentate N(6) tripod ligand containing three imidazole groups, tris[2-(((2-methylimidazol-4-yl)methylidene)amino)ethyl]amine. It was found that the spin and oxidation states of the iron complexes with this tripod ligand are tuned by the degree of deprotonation of the imidazole groups and by the 2-methyl imidazole substituent. Magnetic susceptibility and Mössbauer studies revealed that 1 is an HS-Fe(II) complex, 2 exhibits a spin equilibrium between HS and LS-Fe(III), 3 exhibits a two-step spin transition, where the component [Fe(II)L(Me)](-) with the deprotonated ligand participates in the spin transition process in the higher temperature range and the component [Fe(II)H(3)L(Me)](2+) with the neutral ligand participates in the spin transition process in the lower temperature range, and 4 exhibits spin transition of both the Fe(II) and Fe(III) sites. The crystal structure of 3 consists of homochiral extended 2D puckered sheets, in which the capped tripodlike components [Fe(II)H(3)L(Me)](2+) and [Fe(II)L(Me)](-) are alternately arrayed in an up-and-down mode and are linked by the imidazole-imidazolate hydrogen bonds. Furthermore, the adjacent 2D homochiral sheets are stacked in the crystal lattice yielding a conglomerate as confirmed by the enantiomeric circular dichorism spectra. Compounds 3 and 4 showed the LIESST (light induced excited spin state trapping) and reverse-LIESST effects upon irradiation with green and red light, respectively.