Elastic coupling between spin-crossover particles and cellulose fibers.

Composite materials made of cellulose fibers and spin crossover micro-particles were investigated by magnetic measurements and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The storage modulus of the cellulose handsheet (0.6 GPa at room T) is significantly enhanced in the composite (1.

High Spatial Resolution Imaging of Transient Thermal Events Using Materials with Thermal Memory.

The working principle of a new kind of nanothermometer is experimentally demonstrated using bistable materials with thermal memory. This thermometry approach allows for acquiring sub-wavelength resolution images of fast, transient heating events.

In Situ AFM Imaging of Microstructural Changes Associated with The Spin Transition in [Fe(Htrz)₂(Trz)](Bf₄) Nanoparticles.

Topographic images of [Fe(Htrz)₂(trz)](BF₄) nanoparticles were acquired across the first-order spin transition using variable-temperature atomic force microscopy (AFM) in amplitude modulation mode. These studies revealed a complex morphology of the particles consisting of aggregates of small nanocrystals, which expand, separate and re-aggregate due to the mechanical stress during the spin-state switching events. Both reversible (prompt or slow recovery) and irreversible effects (fatigue) on the particle morphology were evidenced and correlated with the spin crossover properties.

Enhanced luminescence stability with a Tb-spin crossover nanocomposite for spin state monitoring.

[Fe(Htrz)2(trz)]BF4@SiO2 nanorods were synthesized using a reverse emulsion technique and a Tb(3+) complex was chemically bound to the silica surface. This Tb-spin crossover nanocomposite demonstrates high luminescence stability under continuous thermal cycling. A reabsorption mechanism is determined to be responsible for the luminescence intensity variation during the spin state switching of the iron complex.

Hybrid spin-crossover nanostructures.

This review reports on the recent progress in the synthesis, modelling and application of hybrid spin-crossover materials, including core-shell nanoparticles and multilayer thin films or nanopatterns. These systems combine, often in synergy, different physical properties (optical, magnetic, mechanical and electrical) of their constituents with the switching properties of spin-crossover complexes, providing access to materials with unprecedented capabilities.