Investigation of the effect of ferroelectric polarization on the spin state of spin crossover complexes embedded in a piezopolymer matrix

Abstract

Recent experiments indicate that the spin state of molecules adjacent to ferroelectric layers depends on the magnitude and direction of the polarization. Since similar effects could arise in nanocomposites, we synthesized samples with spin crossover particles embedded in a ferroelectric polymer. The spin transition phenomenon in the poled and non-poled composites was investigated by hot-stage optical microscopy and calorimetry, but no sizeable effect of the poling on the spin-state equilibrium was detected. On the other hand, subtle matrix effects on the spin crossover properties and a rather unusual sensitivity of the spin transition on thermal annealing was detected.