Analysis and characterization of coordination compounds by resonance Raman spectroscopy

Resonance Raman spectroscopy has become a powerful tool to study excited-state geometries, excited-state charge distributions and photoinduced reaction dynamics in coordination compounds. Due to their rich photophysical properties coordination compounds are utilized for a variety of applications ranging from DNA sensing to photocatalysis. This review features recent applications of various resonance Raman scattering techniques to mechanistically study the interplay of geometrical and electronic structure and photoinduced dynamics in coordination compounds.

► In combination with calculations complex absorption spectra can be decomposed into individual electronic transitions, hence the localization of photoexcited states is revealed.
► The dynamics of photoinduced reactions is revealed by femtosecond time-resolved stimulated resonance Raman scattering.
► Resonance Raman spectroscopy enables insights into the mechanism of photocatalysis by coordination compounds.