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The nature of frontier orbitals under systematic ligand exchange in (pseudo-)octahedral Fe(ii) complexes
Raphael M Jay1, Sebastian Eckert, Mattis Fondell
1Universität Potsdam, Institut für Physik und Astronomie, 14476 Potsdam, Germany. rajay@uni-potsdam.de.
Abstract:
Understanding and controlling properties of transition metal complexes is a crucial step towards tailoring materials for sustainable energy applications. In a systematic approach, we use resonant inelastic X-ray scattering to study the influence of ligand substitution on the valence electronic structure around an aqueous iron(ii) center. Exchanging cyanide with 2-2'-bipyridine ligands reshapes frontier orbitals in a way that reduces metal 3d charge delocalization onto the ligands. This net decrease of metal-ligand covalency results in lower metal-centered excited state energies in agreement with previously reported excited state dynamics. Furthermore, traces of solvent-effects were found indicating a varying interaction strength of the solvent with ligands of different character. Our results demonstrate how ligand exchange can be exploited to shape frontier orbitals of transition metal complexes in solution-phase chemistry; insights upon which future efforts can built when tailoring the functionality of photoactive systems for light-harvesting applications.
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