Abstract
Many of the principles that govern the photochemistry of metal complexes are the same as those that have been developed for understanding the photochemistry of organic compounds. Photochemical reactions differ from thermal reactions in that they are initiated by the absorption of light rather than by the application of heat. Photochemical reactions can therefore only occur if the compounds being activated have a chromophore in the electromagnetic spectrum that corresponds in wavelength with that of the exciting radiation. The number of thermodynamically favorable products that are accessible from photochemical reactions are greater than those that are obtainable from thermal reactions. This situation is a result of the excess energy that is possessed by the excited state after the absorption of a photon. The addition of this photon energy to the ground state energy of the molecule results in the excited state having considerably more stored energy; as a result, the excited state molecule can be considered to be quite different from its ground state precursor. This difference usually leads to the excited state having different bond distances and angles than does the ground state. These molecular distortions that the molecule undergoes after absorption of the photon can be either isotropic over the entire molecule, or anisotropic where the differences from the ground state are primarily located in one region of the molecule.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Review Literature
Adamson, A. W.; Fleischauer, P. D. (eds.) Concepts of Inorganic Photochemistry, Wiley, New York, 1975.
Adamson, A. W.; Waltz, W. L.; Zinato, E.; Watts, D. W.; Fleischauer, P. D.; Lindholm, R. D. “Photochemistry of Transition-Metal Coordination Compounds,” Chem. Revs. 1968, 68, 541.
Barltrop, J. A.; Coyle, J. D. Principles of Photochemistry, Wiley, New York, 1978.
Belser, P.; Von Zelewsky, A. (eds.). “Photochemistry and Photophysics of Coordination Compounds.” (Special issue containing a collection of papers presented at the 9th International Symposium, Fribourg, Switzerland, 14–19 July 1991), Coord. Chem. Revs. 1991, 111.
Calvert, J. G.; Pitts, Jr., J. N. Photochemistry, Wiley, New York, 1966.
Demas, J. N. Excited State Lifetime Measurements, Academic, New York, 1983.
Ferraudi, G. J. Elements of Inorganic Photochemistry, Wiley, New York, 1988.
Ford, P.C.; Lever, A. B. P. (eds.). “Photochemistry and Photophysics of Metal Complexes: Applications to Solar Energy.” (Special issue containing a collection of papers presented at the Symposium of the 1984 International Chemical Congress of the Pacific Basin Societies, Honolulu, 17–19 December 1984), Coord. Chem. Revs. 1985, 64.
Ford, P. C.; Watts, R. J. “Photochemistry and Photophysics of Coordination Compounds.” (Special issue containing a collection of papers presented at the 8th International Symposium, Santa Barbara, 1989), Coord. Chem. Revs. 1990, 97.
Forster, L. S. “Primary Photoprocesses in Transition Metal Complexes,” Adv. in Photochem. 1991, 16, 215.
Geoffroy, G. L.; Wrighton, M. S. Organometallic Photochemistry, Academic, New York, 1979.
Gilbert, A.; Baggott, J. Essentials of Molecular Photochemistry, Blackwell, Oxford, 1991.
Hennig, H.; Rehorek, D.; Archer, R. D. “Photocatalytic Systems with Light-Sensitive Coordination Compounds and Possibilities of their Spectral Sensitization—An Overview,” Coord. Chem. Revs. 1985, 61, 1.
Kutal, C.; Adamson, A. W. “Photochemical Processes,” in Comprehensive Coordination Chemistry, Pergamon, Oxford, 1987, Volume 1, Chapter 7.3.
Mikkelsen, K. V.; Ratner, M. A. “Electron Tunneling in Solid-State Electron-Transfer Reactions,” Chem. Revs. 1987, 87, 113.
Murov, S. L. Handbook of Photochemistry, Dekker, New York, 1973.
Rau, H. “Asymmetric Photochemistry in Solution,” Chem. Revs. 1983, 83, 535.
Scandola, F.; Traverso, O. (eds.). “Perspectives in Photochemistry.” Special issue containing a collection of papers presented at the International Symposium, Ferrara, Italy, 1992, Coord. Chem Revs. 1992, 125.
Serpone, N.; Pelizzetti, E. Photocatalysis, Wiley, New York, 1989.
Simons, J. P. Photochemistry and Spectroscopy, Wiley, New York, 1971.
Sykora, J.; Sima, J. “Photochemistry of Coordination Compounds,” Coord. Chem. Revs. 1990, 107, 1.
Turro, N. J. Modern Molecular Photochemistry, Benjamin, Menlo Park, CA, 1978.
Wrighton, M. S. “Photochemistry,” Chem. Eng. News 1979, Sept. 3, 29-47.
Wubbels, G. G. “Catalysis of Photochemical Reactions,” Accts. Chem. Res. 1983, 16, 285–292.
Yersin, H.; Vogler, A. (eds.). Photochemistry and Photophysics of Coordination Compounds, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1987.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1994 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Roundhill, D.M. (1994). Principles of Photochemistry of Metal Complexes. In: Photochemistry and Photophysics of Metal Complexes. Modern Inorganic Chemistry. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-1495-8_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-1495-8_1
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4899-1497-2
Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-1495-8
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive