A correlation between spin state and electrochemical electron-transfer rate for tris(N,N-disubtituted dithiocarbamato) iron(III) complexes

The electrochemical electron-transfer rate constants for the redox systems Fe(IV)L₃⁺/Fe(III)L₃ (L=N,N-disubstituted dithicarbamate ion) and Fe(III)L₃/Fe(II)L₃^? with a variety of substituents were measured at a platinum electrode in acetonitrile with the galvanostatic double-pulse method. It is known that each of the Fe(III) complexes exists both in a highspin state ⁶A₁ and a low-spin state ²T₂ in equilibirium of which position is widely changed by a subtle change in substituent. The standard rate constants for Fe(IV)L₃⁺/Fe(III)L₃ were larger or smaller than those for Fe(III)L₃/Fe(II)L₃^? according as the Fe(III)L₃ complexes are predominantly low- or high-spin complexes. Since the Fe(IV) and Fe(II) complexes are low-and high-spin complexes respectively, these findings suggest that electrochemical electron-transfer reactions accompanied by a spin-state change are slower than those without it. Such spin-state effect on electrode reactions has rarely been discussed so far.