Photochromic dinuclear iridium(iii) complexes having phenoxyl-imidazolyl radical complex derivatives

We demonstrate that the phenoxyl-imidazolyl radical complex (PIC), which is a rate-tunable fast photoswitch, can be used as a ligand that directly coordinates with iridium (iii) ions. The iridium complexes show the characteristic photochromic reactions originating from the PIC moiety, whereas the behaviour of transient species is substantially different from that of the PIC.

Automated summary

We find that the phenoxyl-imidazolyl radical complex (PIC) can serve as a ligand to directly coordinate with iridium (iii) ions. The resulting iridium complexes exhibit photochromic reactions characteristic of the PIC moiety, although the behavior of transient species differs significantly from that of the PIC.