Symmetry breaking and light-induced spin-state trapping in a mononuclear FeII complex with the two-step thermal conversion

Crystallographic, magnetic, and Raman investigations of the mononuclear [Fe-II(Hpy-DAPP)](BF4)(2) complex are presented. Its particular feature is a two-step thermal spin conversion in spite of a unique symmetry-independent iron site per unit cell. The plateau around 140 K is associated with a symmetry breaking visible by the appearance of weak (0k0) k odd Bragg peaks. Symmetries of the high-temperature high-spin state and of the low-temperature low-spin state are both monoclinic P2(1)/c, so that the symmetry breaking on the plateau is associated with a reentrant phase transition. It is discussed in relation with Ising-type microscopic models. At the plateau level, the two symmetry-independent molecules differ both by their spin state and the conformation (chair versus twist-boat) of one metallocycle. At low-temperature photoinduced phenomena have been investigated: a partial phototransformation [light-induced excited spin-state trapping (LIESST) effect] is observed under visible red irradiation. Raman spectroscopy shows that the molecular photoinduced state is the high-spin one. Nevertheless, as no macroscopic symmetry breaking is observed, the unique average cationic [Fe-II(Hpy-DAPP)] state of the unit cell is intermediate between pure low-spin and high-spin states and presents a conformational disorder for one metallocycle. Reverse-LIESST has also been evidenced using near infrared excitation. Thus, the mononuclear [Fe(Hpy-DAPP)](BF4)(2) compound offers the opportunity to discuss the interplay between spin conversion, molecular conformational change, and ordering processes.