Using X-ray absorption techniques, we show that temperature-and light-induced spin crossover properties are conserved for a sub-monolayer of the [Fe(H 2 B(pz) 2 ) 2 (2,2'-bipy)] complex evaporated onto a Au(111) surface. For a significant fraction of the molecules, we see changes in the absorption at the L 2,3 edges that are consistent with those observed in bulk and thick film references. Assignment of these changes to spin crossover is further supported by multiplet calculations to simulate the x-ray absorption spectra. As others have observed in experiments on monolayer coverages, we find that many molecules in our submonolayer system remain pinned in one of the two spin states. Our results clearly demonstrate that temperature-and light-induced spin-crossover is possible for isolated molecules on surfaces, but that interactions with the surface may play a key role in determining when this can occur. TOC X-ray absorption techniques evidenced that temperature-and light-induced spin crossover properties were conserved for a sub-monolayer of the [Fe(H 2 B(pz) 2 ) 2 (2,2'-bipy)] complex evaporated on a Gold surface KEYWORDS: spin crossover,·UHV evaporation,·submonolayer,·X-ray absorption,·iron complexes 3 Spin Crossover (SCO) complexes are promising building blocks for spintronic 1 Using variable temperature X-ray absorption spectra, we examined a submonolayer coverage evaporated in situ under UHV conditions on Au(111), before and after irradiation with visible laser light. We compare these results to those obtained from two other samples: 1) a 5 single crystal finely scratched on gold foil, which we use as a spectroscopic bulk reference; and 2) a 300 nm thick film sublimedex situ on copper foil, to check the preservation of structure and properties of the complex. Experimental spectra were then compared to the ones obtained using multiplet calculations. 37-39The variation of the L 2,3 edge spectra for the bulk sample over the range of the thermal spin crossover (100-300 K) is reported in Figure 1a(see also Figure S1 in Supplementary Information Spectra measured on the thick film prepared ex situ are similar to the bulk, and show comparable temperature dependence (Figure 1b and Figure S1). Nevertheless, the thick film spectrum is slightly differentfrom the bulk compound: shoulders on the high-energy side (at 300 K) or at the low-energy side (at 100 K) of the L 3 absorption peak, are likely associated with a small fraction of decomposition product, which maybe caused by air exposure of this sample prepared ex situ.The analysis of the temperature-dependent spectra as weighted sums of the bulk spectra at 300 K and 100 K, chosen as representative of the HS and LS state respectively, allows for the extraction of the temperature dependence of the HS fraction (Table S2). For the thick film, the shoulder signals were found to be temperature independent, and thus do not affect the switching behavior. We extracted this spurious contribution ( Figures S3 and S4) and subtracted it from all spectra before evaluating...

A family of dinuclear cobalt complexes with bridging bis(dioxolene) ligands derived from 3,3,3',3'-tetramethyl-1,1'-spirobis(indane-5,5',6,6'-tetrol) (spiroH4) and ancillary ligands based on tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (tpa) has been synthesized and characterized. The bis(dioxolene) bridging ligand is redox-active and accessible in the (spiro(cat-cat))(4-), (spiro(SQ-cat))(3-), and (spiro(SQ-SQ))(2-) forms, (cat = catecholate, SQ = semiquinonate). Variation of the ancillary ligand (Mentpa; n = 0-3) by successive methylation of the 6-position of the pyridine rings influences the redox state of the complex, governing the distribution of electrons between the cobalt centers and the bridging ligands. Pure samples of salts of the complexes [Co2(spiro)(tpa)2](2+) (1), [Co2(spiro)(Metpa)2](2+) (2), [Co2(spiro)(Me2tpa)2](2+) (3), [Co2(spiro)(Me3tpa)2](2+) (4), [Co2(spiro)(tpa)2](3+) (5), and [Co2(spiro)(tpa)2](4+) (6) have been isolated, and 1, 4, and 6 have been characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Studies in the solid and solution states using multiple techniques reveal temperature invariant redox states for 1, 2, and 4-6 and provide clear evidence for four different charge distributions: 1 and 2 are Co(III)-(spiro(cat-cat))-Co(III), 4 is Co(II)-(spiro(SQ-SQ))-Co(II), 5 is Co(III)-(spiro(SQ-cat))-Co(III), and 6 is Co(III)-(spiro(SQ-SQ))-Co(III). Of the six complexes, only 3 shows evidence of temperature dependence of the charge distribution, displaying a rare thermally induced two-step valence tautomeric transition from the Co(III)-(spiro(cat-cat))-Co(III) form to Co(II)-(spiro(SQ-cat))-Co(III) and then to Co(II)-(spiro(SQ-SQ))-Co(II) in both solid and solution states. This is the first time a two-step valence tautomeric (VT) transition has been observed in solution. Partial photoinduction of the VT transition is also possible in the solid. Magnetic and spectroscopic studies of 5 and 6 reveal that spiroconjugation of the bis(dioxolene) ligand allows electronic interaction across the spiro bridge, suggesting that thermally activated vibronic coupling between the two cobalt-dioxolene moieties plays a key role in the two-step transition evident for 3.

A colloidal two-step seeded-growth approach has been devised to selectively synthesize three-component magnetic/semiconductor hybrid nanocrystals (HNCs) with a matchstick-like profile and tunable geometric parameters. The newly developed heterostructures individually comprise a single metallic Co head connected to either apexes of one rod-shaped section made of a CdSe core eccentrically embedded in a CdS shell. The specific topological arrangement realized arises from the peculiar anisotropic reactivity of the noncentrosymmetric CdSe@CdS core@shell nanorods that have been used as substrates to seed heterogeneous nucleation of Co in a surfactant-free environment from an organometallic precursor. The HNCs retain appreciable fluorescent emission in spite of photoexcited charge transfer from the semiconductor to the metal domain and exhibit unusual ferromagnetic-like behavior at room temperature.

Tunable single-molecule magnets: The spin-level landscape in a series of Fe(III) (4) single-molecule magnets with propeller-like structure was analyzed by means of high-frequency EPR spectroscopy. The zero-field splitting parameter D of the ground S=5 spin state correlates strongly with the pitch of the propeller gamma (see picture), and thus provides a simple link between molecular structure and magnetic behavior.We report three novel tetrairon(III) single-molecule magnets with formula [Fe(4)(L)(2)(dpm)(6)] (Hdpm=2,2,6,6-tetramethylheptane-3,5-dione), prepared by using pentaerythritol monoether ligands H(3)L=R'OCH(2)C(CH(2)OH)(3) with R'=allyl (1), (R,S)-2-methyl-1-butyl (2), and (S)-2-methyl-1-butyl (3), along with a new crystal phase of the complex containing H(3)L=11-(acetylthio)-2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)- undecan-1-ol (4). High-frequency EPR (HF-EPR) spectra at low temperature were collected on powder samples in order to determine the zero-field splitting (zfs) parameters in the ground S=5 spin state. In 1-4 and in other eight isostructural compounds previously reported, a remarkable correlation is found between the axial zfs parameter D and the pitch gamma of the propeller-like structure. The relationship is directly demonstrated by 1, which features both structurally and magnetically inequivalent molecules in the crystal. The dynamics of magnetization has been investigated by ac susceptometry, and the results analyzed by master-matrix calculations. The large rhombicities of 2 and 3 were found to be responsible for the fast magnetic relaxation observed in the two compounds. However, complex 3 shows an additional faster relaxation mechanism which is unaccounted for by the set of spin Hamiltonian parameters determined by HF-EPR.

A solvent tune: The crystallization solvent affects the temperature and light dependence of the valence tautomeric behaviour of a 1:1 Co–dioxolene compound, thus offering a new possibility of tuning its charge distribution (see figure). This approach paves the way for the development of molecular magnetic materials whose properties may be controlled by chemical means.

A control of the dynamics of the magnetisation is chemically achieved in a ring-like Dy-radical based molecule, allowing the estimation of the quantum tunneling frequency with a (4)He-cooled susceptometer.

The reaction of [Ln(hfac)(3)]·2H(2)O and pyridine-N-oxide (PyNO) leads to isostructural dimers of the formula [Ln(hfac)(3)(PyNO)](2) (Ln=Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy). The Dy derivative shows a remarkable single-molecule magnet behavior with complex hysteresis at 1.4 K. The dynamics of the magnetization features are two relaxation regimes: a thermally activated one at high temperature (τ(0)=(5.62±0.4)×10(-11) s and Δ=(167±1) K) and a quantum tunneling regime at low temperature with a tunneling frequency of 0.42 Hz. The analysis of the Gd derivative evidences intradimer antiferromagnetic interactions (J=(-0.034±0.001) cm(-1)). Moreover, the Eu, Tb, and Dy derivatives are luminescent with quantum yield of 51, 53, and 0.1%, respectively. The thermal investigation of [Dy(hfac)(3)(PyNO)](2) shows that the dimers can be sublimated intact, suggesting their possible exploit as active materials for surface-confined nanostructures to be investigated by fluorimetry methods.

A detailed investigation of a valence tautomeric (VT) transition for the new complex [Co(III)(3,5-DBCat)(3,5-DBSQ)(py)₂]/[Co(II)(3,5-DBSQ)₂(py)₂] (1) is reported, where 3,5-DBCatH₂ is 3,5-di-tert-butyl-catechol, 3,5-DBSQH is 3,5-di-tert-butyl-semiquinone and py is pyridine. Complex 1 exists as a mixture of the two valence tautomers, with the relative proportion of each depending on the external conditions. Three differently solvated forms of the complex have been synthesized and variable temperature structural and magnetic investigations of one of these, 1·0.5py, reveals that this compound undergoes a thermally-induced VT transition from the [Co(III)(3,5-DBCat)(3,5-DBSQ)(py)₂] tautomer at temperatures below 150 K to a 1 : 1 mixture of the two tautomers at temperatures above 300 K. The VT transition may also be photo-induced at 9 K, affording a similar mixture of the two tautomers. In both cases the incomplete transition is attributed to the presence of π-π stacking interactions between the pyridine molecules of solvation and one of the two crystallographically independent complex molecules, which inhibits the expansion of this molecule that would accompany a VT transition. Studies on alternatively solvated forms 1·2MeCN and 1·1.67hexane also suggest a significant dependence of the VT transition on solvation-induced packing effects and/or intermolecular interactions.