X-ray photoelectron spectra of iron complexes: Correlation of iron 2p satellite intensity with complex spin state

Metal and ligand core-level spectra have been obtained for 36 iron complexes which possess a variety of ligands including carbonyl, nitrosyl, triphenylphosphine,o-phenylenebis(dimethylarsine), halides and pseudohalides. Formal metal oxidation states range from ? 1 to + 3, and complex spin states represented in the series include 0, $\text{1}\text{2}$, $\text{3}\text{2}$, 2 and $\text{5}\text{2}$. A clear correlation between complex spin state and satellite intensity in the Fe 2p spectra is found. The satellite intensities observed experimentally are in approximate quantitative accord with those predicted by a “spin flipping” model. Although the present analysis does not provide a definitive choice between the “sudden approximation” and “spin flipping” models, the agreement between experimental satellite intensities and the intensities predicted by the “spin flipping” model suggests that such a mechanism can be important in the satellite process.