Charge-transfer excited state properties of chiral transition metal coordination compounds studied by chiroptical spectroscopy

Chiroptical properties of chiral coordination compounds can be used to assign absolute configuration of ground and excited states. We discuss examples of transition metal complexes where MLCT, LMCT, MMCT and exciton LCT transitions have been observed. Such models are dimolybdenum complexes, cyclometallated Pt and Pd complexes, helicates, and complexes with Schiff-bases, conjugated diimines, catecholates and hydroxamates as ligands. The theoretical methods to assign configurations, i.e. comparison methods, exciton theory or quantum mechanical calculations, are reviewed and shown for selected examples. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.