Ternary molecular switching in a single-crystal optical actuator with correlated crystal strain

Cole, Jacqueline M.; Gosztola, David J.; Velazquez-Garcia, Jose de J.; Guest, Jeffrey R.

doi:10.1038/s41467-025-56795-w

Title: Ternary molecular switching in a single-crystal optical actuator with correlated crystal strain

Journal Article · 10 February 2025 · Nature Communications

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56795-w · OSTI ID:2513962

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Univ. of Cambridge (United Kingdom); Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), Oxford (United Kingdom). Rutherford Appleton Lab., ISIS Neutron Source; Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Center for Nanoscale Materials (CNM)
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Center for Nanoscale Materials (CNM)
Univ. of Cambridge (United Kingdom)

A growing portfolio of single-crystal optical actuators is forging a new class of photonic materials that hold prospects for quantum technologies. Ruthenium-based complexes that exhibit this phenomenon via SO₂-linkage photoisomerisation are of particular interest since they display multiple metastable states, once induced by green light; yet, complete photoconversion into each SO₂-isomeric state is rarely achieved. We discover a new complex, trans-[Ru(SO₂)(NH₃)₄(4-bromopyridine)]tosylate₂, that produces 100% photoconverted η¹-OSO isomeric crystal structures at 90 K, which fully transition into η²-(OS)O photoisomers upon warming to 100 K, while the dark-state η¹-SO₂ structure is wholly recovered by heating the crystal to room temperature. Crystal structures and optical-absorption profiles of each state are captured via in-situ light-induced single-crystal X-ray diffraction and optical-absorption spectroscopy. Results show that both photoisomeric species behave as optical switches, but with distinct optical properties. The photoisomerisation process causes thermally-reversible micro- and nanoscopic crystal strain, as characterised by optical microscopy and in-situ light-induced atomic-force microscopy.

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Research Organization:: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Scientific User Facilities (SUF)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-06CH11357

OSTI ID:: 2513962

Journal Information:: Nature Communications, Journal Name: Nature Communications Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 16; ISSN 2041-1723

Publisher:: Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Title: Ternary molecular switching in a single-crystal optical actuator with correlated crystal strain

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