Large Orbital Moment of Two Coupled Spin-Half Co Ions in a Complex on Gold.

The magnetic properties of transition-metal ions are generally described by the atomic spins of the ions and their exchange coupling. The orbital moment, usually largely quenched due the ligand field, is then seen as a perturbation. In such a scheme, = 1/2 ions are predicted to be isotropic.

Rotation of Ethoxy and Ethyl Moieties on a Molecular Platform on Au(111).

Molecular rotors have attracted considerable interest for their prospects in nanotechnology. However, their adsorption on supporting substrates, where they may be addressed individually, usually modifies their properties. Here, we investigate the switching of two closely related three-state rotors mounted on platforms on Au(111) using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and density functional theory calculations.

Reversible coordination-induced spin-state switching in complexes on metal surfaces.

Molecular spin switches are attractive candidates for controlling the spin polarization developing at the interface between molecules and magnetic metal surfaces, which is relevant for molecular spintronics devices. However, so far, intrinsic spin switches such as spin-crossover complexes have suffered from fragmentation or loss of functionality following adsorption on metal surfaces, with rare exceptions. Robust metal-organic platforms, on the other hand, rely on external axial ligands to induce spin switching.

Light-Induced Spin Crossover in an Fe(II) Low-Spin Complex Enabled by Surface Adsorption.

Understanding and controlling the spin-crossover properties of molecular complexes can be of particular interest for potential applications in molecular spintronics. Using near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy, we investigated these properties for a new vacuum-evaporable Fe(II) complex, namely [Fe(pypyr(CF))(phen)] (pypyr = 2-(2'-pyridyl)pyrrolide, phen = 1,10-phenanthroline). We find that the spin-transition temperature, well above room temperature for the bulk compound, is drastically lowered for molecules arranged in thin films.

Robust and Selective Switching of an Fe Spin-Crossover Compound on CuN/Cu(100) with Memristance Behavior.

The switching between two spin states makes spin-crossover molecules on surfaces very attractive for potential applications in molecular spintronics. Using scanning tunneling microscopy, the successful deposition of [Fe(pap)] (pap = N-2-pyridylmethylidene-2-hydroxyphenylaminato) molecules on CuN/Cu(100) surface is evidenced. The deposited Fe spin-crossover compound is controllably switched between three different states, each of them exhibiting a characteristic tunneling conductance.