Several new iron(II)-N-heterocyclic carbene complexes have been reported in recent years. The usefulness of these promising iron(II)-complexes for applications in photodynamic therapy, molecular electronics, photovoltaics, and artificial photosynthesis hinges on a high-energy excited state that is sufficiently long-lived to facilitate the desirable electron-/energy-transfer process or photochemical reaction. Recent advances in ultrafast time-resolved X-ray spectroscopy provide the experimental handles to examine the structure of transient excited states, however the experimental spectra often overlap and computationally optimized excited state structures are critical to identify spectral signatures and allow for discussions of how individual excited states contribute to the overall dynamics. Utilizing these emerging methods, the complicated initial and ground state recovery of three generations of iron carbine complexes will be discussed. Including a new excited state paradigm that further extends the excited state lifetimes of an iron(III)-carbene complex utilizing a radically different ground and excited state properties than the traditional excited state landscape for iron(II)-based light harvesting complexes.

Photochemistry of iron(III) carbenes

254th National Meeting (2017)

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