In the presence of triflate as the counter anion, 1,2-diaminobenzene and 2-formylpyridine self-sort with iron(ii) to a low-spin [Fe(L1)](OTf)2 complex in which both aminal and imine moieties coexist simultaneously, while under similar conditions the chloride anion leads to a high-spin [Fe(L2)Cl2] complex.