Deciphering the Influence of Meridional versus Facial Isomers in Spin Crossover Complexes

Chelate coordination of non-symmetrical didentate pyrazine-benzimidazole (L1) or pyridine-benzimidazole (L2) N-donor ligands around divalent iron in acetonitrile produces stable homoleptic triple-helical spin crossover [Fe(Lk)3]2+ complexes existing as mixtures of meridional (C1- symmetry) and facial (C3-symmetry) isomers in slow exchange on the NMR timescale. The speciation deviates from the expected statistical ratio mer/fac=3:1, a trend assigned to the thermodynamic trans-influence, combined with solvation effects. Consequently, the observed spin state FeII lowspin $FeII high-spin equilibria occurring in [Fe(Lk)3]2+ refer to mixtures of complexes in solution, an issue usually not considered in this field, but which limits rational structure-properties correlations. Taking advantage of the selective and quantitative formation of isostructural facial isomers in nonconstrained related spin crossover d-f helicates (HHH)- [LnFe(Lk)3]5+ (Ln is a trivalent lanthanide, Lk=L5, L6), we propose a novel strategy for assigning pertinent thermodynamic driving forces to each spin crossover triple-helical isomer. The different enthalpic contributions to the spin state equilibrium found in mer-[Fe(Lk)3]2+ and fac-[Fe(Lk)3]2+ reflect the Fe@N bond strengths dictated by the trans-influence, whereas a concomitant solvent-based entropic contribution reinforces the latter effect and results in systematic shifts of the spin crossover transitions toward higher temperature in the facial isomers