EurekAlert December 23, 2019
An international team of researchers (Germany, Switzerland, France) integrated a spin switching functionality into robust complexes, relying on the mechanical movement of an axial ligand strapped to the porphyrin ring. They demonstrated reversible interlocked switching of spin and coordination induced by electron injection on Ag(111) for this class of compounds. The stability of the two spin and coordination states of the molecules exceeds days. The potential applications of this switching concept go beyond the spin functionality and may turn out to be useful for controlling the catalytic activity of surfaces…read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Each molecule can be separately addressed with a scanning tunneling microscope and switched between the states by applying a positive or negative voltage. Credit: © Jan-Simon von Glasenapp and Rainer Herges