Strong Field Iron(II) Complex Converted by Light into a Long-Lived High-Spin State We are grateful for financial support from the TMR Research Network No. ERB-FMRX-CT98-0199, the Fonds der chemischen Industrie, and the University of Mainz (MWFZ).

Abstract

For at least a day, stability is imparted to the light-induced, metastable, high-spin state of an iron(II) complex with a strong ligand field (see scheme) at ≥20 K. The lifetime of this state is more than eight orders of magnitude longer than that predicted by the theory of the inverse energy-gap law.