Bi-stable spin-crossover characteristics of a highly distorted [Fe(1-BPP-COOC2H5)2](ClO4)2•CH3CN complex

A highly distorted high spin Fe(ii)-complex, [Fe(1-BPP-COOC2H5)(2)](ClO4)(2)CH3CN, with a trans-N(pyridine)-Fe-N(pyridine) angle (phi) of 158.83(17)degrees showed lattice solvent dependent bi-stable spin-state switching characteristics with T-1/2 = ca. 233 K and a high thermal hysteresis width (T) of 101 K, for the first cooling and heating cycle, unprecedented for the [Fe(BPP)(2)](2+) series of complexes; the results presented in this study are fundamentally important and have implications towards the realization of device architectures based on bi-stable SCO complexes.