A Photoinduced Spin Transition Iron( II ) Complex with Liquid‐Crystal Properties

The iron(II) complex [Fe(3C16‐L)2(NCS)2] (see Figure) exhibits three coexisting physical properties due to its geometric flexibility. It shows liquid‐crystal behavior in the temperature range 345–400 K, spin‐crossover behavior (T1/2 = 217 K) between high‐spin and low‐spin states, and photoinduced spin transition (T(LIESST; light‐induced excited spin state trapping) = 61 K) from a low‐spin state to a metastable high‐spin state.