Development of an Iron(II) Complex Exhibiting Thermal- and Photoinduced Double Proton-Transfer-Coupled Spin Transition in a Short Hydrogen Bond

J Am Chem Soc. 2023 Sep 6;145(35):19177-19181. doi: 10.1021/jacs.3c06323. Epub 2023 Aug 25.

Abstract

Multiple proton transfer (PT) controllable by external stimuli plays a crucial role in fundamental chemistry, biological activity, and material science. However, in crystalline systems, controlling multiple PT, which results in a distinct protonation state, remains challenging. In this study, we developed a novel tridentate ligand and iron(II) complex with a short hydrogen bond (HB) that exhibits a PT-coupled spin transition (PCST). Single-crystal X-ray and neutron diffraction measurements revealed that the positions of the two protons in the complex can be controlled by temperature and photoirradiation based on the thermal- and photoinduced PCST. The obtained results suggest that designing molecules that form short HBs is a promising approach for developing multiple PT systems in crystals.