Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

Photoresponsive spin-crossover liquid crystals

Project description

Optical switches and storage devices could benefit from light-driven spin-crossover molecules

Funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the Photo SCO LCs project aims to develop soft magnetic materials that combine spin crossover, photochromism and a liquid crystal phase. Using an external stimulus (e.g. temperature, light or pressure), researchers will cause a spin transition to the so-called Fe(II) spin crossover molecule. The molecule will then be decorated with long alkyl chains covalently inserted by the azobenzene that displays both liquid crystal and photochromic properties. The reversible cis–trans conformational change of the photochromic unit should affect the coordination sphere of the Fe(II) centre and should cause a ligand-driven light-induced spin change. The newly fabricated materials could find use in optical storage devices and optical switch prototypes.

Objective

This proposal aims at developing a series of photoresponsive magnetic soft materials through the combination of spincrossover (SCO) property, photochromic property and liquid crystal (LC) property in a single material. The SCO property comes from the switchable electronic state between high-spin (HS, S = 2) and low-spin (LS, S = 0) state of the Fe(II) center in an octahedral coordination sphere under an external stimuli (e.g. temperature, light and pressure) and display an interconversion between diamagnetism and paramagnetism. The SCO molecules will be further decorated with long alkyl chains, which are covalently inserted by azobenzene group as photochromic unit, to display both LC and photochromic properties. The reversible cis/trans conformational change of photochromic unit is expected to change the coordination sphere of Fe(II) center and intermolecular interactions in LC systems, thus tuning the ligand field and SCO cooperativity and giving novel ligand-driven light-induced spin change effect (LD LISC) behavior. Moreover, if compared to traditional solid crystalline materials, the obtained materials will show superior characteristics, such as reversibility, faster response, and improved fabricability, allowed by the flexible nature of LCs. The obtained photoresponsive SCO LC materials will have multidisciplinary applications in prototypes of optical memory devices, displays, sensors, and switches, etc. The proposal designed by the researcher and host will make a contribution and promotion in the development of multifunctional molecular magnets, especially of photomagnetic materials.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.

You need to log in or register to use this function

Keywords

Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2020

See all projects funded under this call

Coordinator

CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 196 707,84
Address
RUE MICHEL ANGE 3
75794 PARIS
France

See on map

Region
Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Hauts-de-Seine
Activity type
Research Organisations
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 196 707,84
My booklet 0 0