Electronic reorganization triggered by electron transfer: The intervalence charge transfer of a Fe3+/Fe2+ bimetallic complex

Identifier:  PC:3123

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/PC3123

Authors:  De Graaf, C.; Domingo, A; Angeli, C; Robert, V.

Abstract:
The key role of the molecular orbitals in describing electron transfer processes is put in evidence for the intervalence charge transfer (IVCT) of a synthetic non-haem binuclear mixed-valence Fe3+/Fe2+ compound. The electronic reorganization induced by the IVCT can be quantified by controlling the adaptation of the molecular orbitals to the charge transfer process. We evaluate the transition energy and its polarization e¿ects on the molecular orbital by means of ab initio calculations. The resulting energetic profile of the IVCT shows strong similarities to the Marcus¿ model, suggesting a response behaviour of the ensemble of electrons analogue to that of the solvent. We quantify the extent of the electronic reorganization induced by the IVCT process to be 11.74 eV, a very large e¿ect that induces the crossing of states reducing the total energy of the transfer to 0.89 eV.