This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). This award in the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry program supports work by Professor Mykhailo Shatruk at Florida State University to carry out fundamental studies on multifunctional spin crossover materials. Spin crossover compounds can exist in two magnetic states, transitions between which are achieved by varying temperature, pressure, or irradiating the sample with light. Materials combining such magnetically bistable iron(II) ions with synthetic organic conductors, finite multinuclear metal complexes, and luminescent cadmium selenide quantum dots will be prepared. Investigation of physical properties of these complexes will focus on understanding the interplay (synergy) between the spin transition at the Fe(II) centers and electrical conductivity, small molecule sorption, and luminescence that originate from the other part of the structure. The study of these materials involves a broad range of synthetic and characterization techniques that will form a solid foundation for training students in the fields of inorganic and materials chemistry.
The unique phenomena offered by multifunctional spin crossover compounds can be exploited in the development of new paradigms and more efficient materials for electronic devices, magnetic sensors, and information storage applications.
