Engineering On‐Surface Spin Crossover: Spin‐State Switching in a Self‐Assembled Film of Vacuum‐Sublimable Functional Molecule

• DOI: 10.1002/adma.201705416
• Publication Date: 2018-01-22T15:48:05Z
• Authors: Kuppusamy Senthil...; Michał Studniarek; Benoît Heinrich; Jacek Arabski; Guy Schmerber; Martin Bowen; Samy Boukari; Eric Beaurepaire; Jan Dreiser; Mario Ruben
• Keywords: Spin Crossover; Spin states

Abstract The realization of spin‐crossover (SCO)‐based applications requires study the spin‐state switching characteristics SCO complex molecules within nanostructured environments, especially on surfaces. Except for a very few cases, surface‐bound thin molecular film is either quenched or heavily altered due to: (i) molecule–surface interactions and (ii) differing intermolecular in films relative to bulk. By fabricating complexes weakly interacting surface, interfacial quenching problem tackled. However, engineering active rather difficult. Here, self‐assembly strategy proposed fabricate spin‐switchable with programmable interactions. Molecular parent system [Fe(H 2 B(pz) ) (bpy)] (pz = pyrazole, bpy 2,2′‐bipyridine) dodecyl (C 12 alkyl chain yields classical amphiphile‐like functional vacuum‐sublimable charge‐neutral Fe II complex, ‐bpy)] ‐bpy dodecyl[2,2′‐bipyridine]‐5‐carboxylate). Both bulk powder 10 nm sublimed onto quartz glass SiO x surfaces show comparable mediated by similar lamellar bilayer like self‐assembly/molecular This unprecedented observation augurs well development SCO‐based applications, spintronics.