An isocyanide probe for heme electronic structure: bis(tert-butylisocyanide) complex of diazaporphyrin showing a unique (dxy)2(dxz, dyz)3 ground state.

Isocyanide-bound model hemes always adopt the (dxz, dyz)4(dxy)1 ground state, however, we have found that the replacement of porphyrin by diazaporphyrin leads to the formation of an unprecedented low-spin bis(tert-butylisocyanide) complex with the (dxy)2(dxz, dyz)3 ground state.