Irreversible Metal-to-Ligand Charge Transfer Generates Carbon Radicals in Copper Complexes

This study reports a novel class of copper–heteroaryl sulfone complexes that, upon visible light exposure, undergo irreversible metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) leading to C–S bond cleavage and the generation of carbon-centered radicals. Spectroscopic and computational analyses confirm the formation of MLCT excited states and a low-energy pathway for this fragmentation, marking a departure from the typically reversible nature of MLCT processes.

Originally published by gnews