Luminescent Dinuclear Chromium(III) Complexes with Ferromagnetic Exchange Interactions

Abstract

Recent advances with luminescent mononuclear chromium(III) complexes have provided important molecular design guidelines for enhancing their photoluminescence properties. Applying these modern aspects of coordination chemistry to dinuclear Cr^III complexes, which are mostly not luminescent but show interesting magnetic properties, seems attractive for exploring functional coordination compounds with magnetic exchange interactions and light-induced activity. In this concept, the key structural requirements for dinuclear Cr^III complexes with ferromagnetic exchange interactions and with photoluminescence properties, respectively, are analyzed. Rational merger of these key magneto-optical–structural correlations leads to new types of dinuclear Cr^III complexes with ferromagnetic coupling and room temperature luminescence, and their photophysical properties make them promising photosensitizers for energy transfer. These design concepts open the door of exploring novel dinuclear Cr^III complexes, which can allow the crosstalk of photophysics, photochemistry, and magnetic exchange interactions.