Chiroptical switches and sensors based on ligand conformational changes in labile coordination complexes.

A series of molecules have been developed that give significantly differentiated circular dichroic signals upon presentation of a metal ion, exchange of metal ion, or change in oxidation state. These properties have led to prototypes of molecular sensors for metal ions and redox-mediated chiroptical switches. In some complexes, the CD signal arises by an excitonic coupling mechanism, affording further information about ligand conformation or absolute configuration.