“…The fact that zinc metalated 1a remains photochromic is not unexpected as, unlike its previously reported coppero r nickel counterparts, [27] the zinc complex lacks the MLCT band that couldp otentially deactivate the excited state and quench the photoreaction.M oreover, as revealed by the crystal structure, the two terminal thiazolyl groups of each ligand in the dimer are packed in the photoactive antiparallel conformation with respect to the central thiazolyl, and the distance between the two potentially photo-reactive carbonsw ithin each ligand is approximately 3.71 (between C12and C38) and 3.77 (between C28 and C52), which is much shorter than the generally admitted upper limit 4.2 to allow the photochemical reaction in the crystalline state or in solution. [28,29] Based on the spectral features of 1a and 1b ( Figure S1 in the Supporting Information), the photochromic behavior of Zn 2 -(1a-2 H) 2 and its spectral evolutions in the dark can be tentativelyi nterpreted as follows. Irradiation at 405 nm would first lead to az inc complexw ith one or (and) two 1b,Z n 2 -(1a-2H)(1b-2 H) or (and) Zn 2 -(1b-2 H) 2 ,c haracterized by as pecific absorption band at 462 nm.…”