Spin-Correlated Radical Pairs as Magnetic Switches for Controlling Emissive Triplet States via Triplet–Triplet Energy Transfer
Magnetic fields offer a powerful means to control molecular emission, enabling quantum sensing and spin-level control of chemical reactions. Here, we demonstrate a strategy to magnetically control red to near-infrared phosphorescence via triplet-triplet energy transfer (TTET) from donor-chiral bridge-acceptor (D-χ-A) molecules that generate spin-correlated radical pairs (SCRPs) upon photoexcitation. These SCRPs yield non-emissive triplet excited states whose formation is sensitive to magnetic fields. By transferring this energy to emissive Pt- and Pd-based π-extended porphyrins, we enable magnetic control over phosphorescence that would otherwise be unresponsive to weak magnetic fields (<1 T). This approach establishes a platform for quantifying magnetic field effects on silent triplet states while extending magnetically responsive emission into the near-infrared. Coupling SCRP-based molecular magnetic switches to long-wavelength emissive acceptors offers a new way for probing and modulating spin-dependent processes and triplet-state populations in molecular systems.
Authors
- Neo Lin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0535-564X)
- Tomoyasu Mani (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4125-5195)
- Tatiana V. Esipova (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-7528-9297)
- Madalyn J. Zagajowski
Institutions
- Loyola University Chicago (US)
- Brookhaven National Laboratory (US)
- Division of Chemistry (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
- Published
- 2025-06-30
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpclett.5c01512
- Primary Topic
- Magnetism in coordination complexes
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Division of Chemistry
- Brookhaven National Laboratory