Recent Advances of Single‑Crystal to Single‑Crystal Transformation for Discrete Coordination Compounds

Abstract

In this short review we highlight the diversity of single-crystal
to single-crystal transformations that has been discovered in the last
few years in the field of coordination cluster chemistry. In particular, we
focus on phase transformations which involve a chemical change such
as bond formation, oxidation–reduction, electron-transfer, and ligand
exchange, which will, for example, cause spin-crossover or switch nonlinear
optical activity. We first deal with crystals without guests followed
by those losing guest or exchange ligands during the transformations
and discuss how guests are involved before focusing on the rare occurrence
of chemical reactions that take place on molecular components
within crystalline solids without destroying the long-range crystalline
state. Finally, a perspective following these advances made in the field is
developed.