Photochemistry of iron complexes

Abstract

Although iron is among the most abundant of the bio-essential transition metals and its coordination chemistry is of central importance to bio-inorganic and bioinspired chemistry, its photochemistry has been overshadowed by ruthenium polypyridyl complexes since the 1970s. The photochemistry of iron complexes is nevertheless rich and presents a multitude of opportunities in a wide range of fields. Here, we review the state of the art and especially recent progress in the photochemistry of iron complexes, focusing on aspects of relevance to environmental, biological and photocatalytic chemistry.