Jahn-Teller distortions in transition metal compounds, and their importance in functional molecular and inorganic materials

This tutorial review discusses the structural and electronic consequences of the Jahn-Teller effect in transition metal complexes, focussing on copper(II) compounds which tend to be the most studied. The nature of a Jahn-Teller distortion in molecular complexes and extended lattices can be manipulated by application of pressure or temperature, by doping a molecule into a host lattice, or simply by molecular design. Many of these results have been achieved using compounds with a trans-[CuX4Y2] coordination sphere, which seems to afford copper centres that are particularly sensitive to their environment. Jahn-Teller distortions lead to some unusual phenomena in molecular magnetism, and are important to the functionality of important classes of conducting and superconducting ceramics.