Thanks to thermal quenching we investigated the relaxation of the metastable state of Na(0.32)Co[Fe(CN)6](0.74).3.4H2O at low temperature. A self-accelerated process has been observed in agreement with the cooperative character of the system, responsible for the large thermal hysteresis of the charge-transfer-induced spin transition. The mean-field analysis of the relaxation is discussed with respect to the equilibrium properties. A sizable deviation from mean-field behavior is observed at the beginning of the relaxation process, which might be attributed to a preliminary structural relaxation of the quenched state.

A dye sensitized solar cell with lawsone dye and a ZnO photoanode exhibited a 0.68% power conversion efficiency. TD-DFT was used to explore the UV-Vis spectral features of lawsone.

A cationic iron(III) complex [FeIII(5-OMe-sal2trien]+ (where [H2(5-OMe-sal)2trien] was derived from triethylenetetramine and substituted salicylaldehyde), designed to undergo spin crossover, has been inserted in the layered MnPS3 host lattice. The magnetic properties of the resulting intercalation compound [Fe(5-OMe-sal2trien)]0.28Mn0.86PS3·nH2O have been characterized by 57Fe Mössbauer spectrometry and SQUID measurements. The untreated compound exhibits a sluggish thermal spin crossover over the range 200−300 K, but without hysteresis. Removing the co-intercalated water molecules from the compound dramatically affects its behavior and confers a broad hysteresis loop to the transition. The appearance of cooperativity is discussed in terms of elastic interactions and specific arrangement of the ferric complexes. Further interest arises from the spontaneous magnetization acquired by the intercalation compound below 36 K. The static internal magnetic field experienced by the iron sites affects the Mössbauer spectrum of the low-spin form of the inserted complex below T c.