Liu Linshan, Zhao Chong, Zhang Yingjian, Zhang Zhuxia, Wang Chunru, Wang Taishan
MOE Key Laboratory of Cluster Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China.
College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
Nat Commun. 2025 Aug 4;16(1):7170. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-62649-2.
Spin-active materials with sensitive electron spin centers have drawn significant attention in quantum sensing due to their unique quantum characteristics. Herein, we report a molecular spin sensor based on metallofullerene Y@CN for in-situ monitoring of crystallization behavior and phase transitions in aromatic materials with high precision. Temperature-dependent spin resonance signals of Y@CN dissolved in aromatic materials are analyzed using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Two functional aromatic materials, 1-chloronaphthalene and a liquid crystal material of 5CB, are selected based on their significant crystallization-related technological applications. For Y@CN in 1-chloronaphthalene, a distinct EPR signal transition attributed to the crystallization of 1-chloronaphthalene. For Y@CN in 5CB, three EPR signal transitions correspond to the phase transitions of crystalline 5CB. Theoretical calculations reveal that the sensing mechanism originates from crystallization-induced alignment of fullerene molecular orientation. This work establishes metallofullerene-based spin probes as a powerful analytical tool for detecting the crystallization processes in materials.
具有敏感电子自旋中心的自旋活性材料因其独特的量子特性在量子传感领域备受关注。在此，我们报道了一种基于金属富勒烯Y@CN的分子自旋传感器，用于高精度原位监测芳香族材料的结晶行为和相变。利用电子顺磁共振（EPR）光谱分析了溶解在芳香族材料中的Y@CN的温度依赖性自旋共振信号。基于两种功能性芳香族材料1-氯萘和5CB液晶材料在与结晶相关的重要技术应用，对它们进行了选择。对于1-氯萘中的Y@CN，一个明显的EPR信号转变归因于1-氯萘的结晶。对于5CB中的Y@CN，三个EPR信号转变对应于结晶态5CB的相变。理论计算表明，传感机制源于结晶诱导的富勒烯分子取向排列。这项工作将基于金属富勒烯的自旋探针确立为检测材料结晶过程的强大分析工具。
