Light and Temperature Control of the Spin State of Bis(p-methoxyphenyl)carbene: a Magnetically Bistable Carbene

Bis(p-methoxyphenyl)carbene is the first carbene that at cryogenic temperatures can be isolated in both its lowest energy singlet and triplet states. At 3 K both states coexist indefinitely under these conditions. The carbene is investigated in argon matrices by IR, UV-vis, and X-band EPR spectroscopy, and in MTHF glasses by W-band EPR and Q-band ENDOR spectroscopy. UV (365 nm) irradiation of the system results in formation of predominantly the triplet carbene, whereas visible (450 nm) light shifts the photostationary equilibrium towards the singlet state. Upon annealing at higher temperatures (> 10 K), the triplet is converted to the singlet, however, cooling back to 3 K does not restore the triplet. Therefore, depending on matrix temperature and irradiation conditions, matrices containing predominantly the triplet or the singlet carbene can be generated. Controlling the magnetic and chemical properties of carbenes by using light of different wavelengths might be of general interest for applications such as information storage and radical-initiated polymerization processes