1] LCC, CNRS & University of Toulouse, 205 route de Narbonne, 31077 Toulouse, France [2] School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
Nat Commun. 2013;4:2607. doi: 10.1038/ncomms3607.
Molecular switches have great potential to convert different forms of energy into mechanical motion; however, their use is often limited by the narrow range of operating conditions. Here we report on the development of bilayer actuator devices using molecular spin crossover materials. Motion of the bilayer cantilever architecture results from the huge spontaneous strain accompanying the spin-state switching. The advantages of using spin crossover complexes here are substantial. The operating conditions used to switch the device can be manipulated through chemical modification, and there are many existing compounds to choose from. Spin crossover materials may be switched by diverse stimuli including light, temperature, pressure, guest molecules and magnetic field, allowing complex input combinations or highly specific operation. We demonstrate the versatility of this approach by fabricating actuators from four different spin crossover materials and by using both thermal variation and light to induce motion in a controlled direction.
分子开关在将不同形式的能量转化为机械运动方面具有巨大的潜力；然而，它们的使用通常受到操作条件范围狭窄的限制。在这里，我们报告了使用分子自旋交叉材料开发双层执行器设备。双层悬臂结构的运动是由自旋态切换伴随的巨大自发应变引起的。这里使用自旋交叉配合物的优点是实质性的。可以通过化学修饰来操纵用于切换器件的操作条件，并且有许多现有的化合物可供选择。自旋交叉材料可以通过多种刺激（包括光、温度、压力、客体分子和磁场）进行切换，允许复杂的输入组合或高度特定的操作。我们通过使用四种不同的自旋交叉材料制造执行器，并通过热变化和光来控制方向来演示这种方法的多功能性。
