Study of molecular spin-crossover complex Fe(phen)2(NCS)2 thin films

TL;DR

This study demonstrates the successful fabrication of high-quality Fe(phen)2(NCS)2 thin films via evaporation, revealing their electronic properties and spin transition behavior, which could enable advanced molecular electronic devices.

Contribution

It introduces a method to grow high-quality molecular spin-crossover thin films and characterizes their electronic and spin transition properties.

Findings

Films maintain electronic structure down to 10 nm thickness

Mobility of 6.5x10^-6 cm^2/Vs similar to known organic semiconductors

Films exhibit temperature-driven spin transition

Abstract

We report on the growth by evaporation under high vacuum of high-quality thin films of Fe(phen)2(NCS)2 (phen=1,10-phenanthroline) that maintain the expected electronic structure down to a thickness of 10 nm and that exhibit a temperature-driven spin transition. We have investigated the current-voltage characteristics of a device based on such films. From the space charge-limited current regime, we deduce a mobility of 6.5x10-6 cm2/V?s that is similar to the low-range mobility measured on the widely studied tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminium organic semiconductor. This work paves the way for multifunctional molecular devices based on spin-crossover complexes.