Stimuli-Responsive and Switchable Platinum(II) Complexes and Their Applications in Memory Storage

Platinum(II) complexes can be fascinating candidates for the design of effective stimuli-responsive materials. Being one of the most extensively explored classes of transition metal complexes, their square-planar molecular geometry, rich charge-transfer transitions and strong propensity to form supramolecular assemblies with the aid of directional Pt(II)center dot center dot center dot Pt(II) interactions have endowed the Pt(II) complexes with distinct features to display responsive behavior in the presence of stimuli, such as light, external electric field and organic solvent vapor. Together with other unique advantages, including low-energy charge-transfer excited states, red emission and high photostability, many functional and switchable materials based on platinum(II) complexes have been developed. In this account, we introduce a summary of our advances in the development of various classes of responsive and switchable platinum(II) complexes with selected examples.