Issue 41/2015 - New progress in photochromic materials

Recently, the State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences discovered for the first time the photochromic phenomenon and room temperature photomagnetic effect of 3D-4F polycyano coordination compounds, which not only successfully excavated a class of photochromic materials from known compounds, but also developed a class of light-induced valence mutual compounds
with room temperature photomagnetic effect.

Photochromic substances have the characteristics of reversible changes in color and a variety of physical properties, among which the compounds whose magnetic properties change with photostimulation may play an important role
in magnetic resonance imaging, optical information storage, etc.
, in addition to the functions of strong light protection and optical switch of general photochromic substances.
Polycyano coordination compounds are considered the most promising of these materials, but their photomagnetic effects usually occur below liquid nitrogen temperatures and rarely around room temperature
.
Therefore, the development of photochromic polycyano coordination compounds with room temperature photomagnetic effect is of great scientific significance
.
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