Spin Crossover in a Hexaamineiron(II) Complex: Experimental Confirmation of a Computational Prediction
Bernhardt, Paul V.; Bilyj, Jessica K.; Brosius, Victor; Chernyshov, Dmitry; Deeth, Robert J.; Foscato, Marco; Jensen, Vidar Remi; Mertes, Nicole; Riley, Mark J.; Törnroos, Karl Wilhelm
Peer reviewed, Journal article
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Date
2018-01-06Metadata
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- Department of Chemistry [465]
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https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.201705439Abstract
Single crystal structural analysis of [Fe^II(tame)_2]Cl_2⋅MeOH (tame=1,1,1‐tris(aminomethyl)ethane) as a function of temperature reveals a smooth crossover between a high temperature high‐spin octahedral d^6 state and a low temperature low‐spin ground state without change of the symmetry of the crystal structure. The temperature at which the high and low spin states are present in equal proportions is T_1/2=140 K. Single crystal, variable‐temperature optical spectroscopy of [Fe^II(tame)_2]Cl_2⋅MeOH is consistent with this change in electronic ground state. These experimental results confirm the spin activity predicted for [Fe^II(tame)_2]^2+ during its de novo artificial evolution design as a spin‐crossover complex [Chem. Inf. Model . 2015 , 55 , 1844], offering the first experimental validation of a functional transition‐metal complex predicted by such in silico molecular design methods. Additional quantum chemical calculations offer, together with the crystal structure analysis, insight into the role of spin‐passive structural components. A thermodynamic analysis based on an Ising‐like mean field model (Slichter–Drickammer approximation) provides estimates of the enthalpy, entropy and cooperativity of the crossover between the high and low spin states.