Four bis[2‐{pyrazol‐1‐yl}‐6‐{pyrazol‐3‐yl}pyridine] ligands have been synthesized, with butane‐1,4‐diyl (L1), pyrid‐2,6‐diyl (L2), benzene‐1,2‐dimethylenyl (L3) and propane‐1,3‐diyl (L4) linkers between the tridentate metal‐binding domains. L1 and L2 form [Fe2(μ−L)2]X4 (X−=BF4− or ClO4−) helicate complexes when treated with the appropriate iron(II) precursor. Solvate crystals of [Fe2(μ−L1)2][BF4]4 exhibit three different helicate conformations, which differ in the torsions of their butanediyl linker groups. The solvates exhibit gradual thermal spin‐crossover, with examples of stepwise switching and partial spin‐crossover to a low‐temperature mixed‐spin form. Salts of [Fe2(μ−L2)2]4+ are high‐spin, which reflects their highly twisted iron coordination geometry. The composition and dynamics of assembly structures formed by iron(II) with L1−L3 vary with the ligand linker group, by mass spectrometry and 1H NMR spectroscopy. Gas‐phase DFT calculations imply the butanediyl linker conformation in [Fe2(μ−L1)2]4+ influences its spin state properties, but show anomalies attributed to intramolecular electrostatic repulsion between the iron atoms.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.