Photoredox Properties of Iron(III) Fluoro Complexes Containing Tetradentate Open-Chain N2O2Ligands

Tetradentate open-chain Schiff base N₂O₂-ligands of acacen, benacen or salen type and fluoride anions F^? coordinate to the iron(III) central atom in methanol forming the complexes Fe(N₂O₂)(CH₃OH)F]. The complexes do not undergo spontaneous redox changes when kept in the dark. Their irradiation into intraligand or ligand-to-metal charge transfer bands causes the photoreduction of Fe(III) to Fe(II) associated with oxidation of metanol to its radical CH₂OH. The final products of the primary photoredox and secondary dark redox processes, Fe(II) and CH₂O, are formed in a 2:1 molar ratio. The efficiency of the axial methanol ligand photooxidation is strongly wavelength dependent and influenced by the peripheral groups R of the tetradentate ligands