Spin-crossover nanoparticles anchored on MoS2 layers for heterostructures with tunable strain driven by thermal or light-induced spin switching

In the last few years, the effect of strain on the optical and electronic properties of MoS2 layers has been deeply studied. Complex devices have been designed where strain is externally applied on the 2D material. However, so far, the preparation of a reversible self-strainable system based on MoS2 layers has remained elusive. In this work, spin-crossover nanoparticles are covalently grafted onto functionalized layers of semiconducting MoS2 to form a hybrid heterostructure. We use the ability of spin-crossover molecules to switch between two spin states upon the application of external stimuli to generate strain over the MoS2 layer. This spin crossover is accompanied by a volume change and induces strain and a substantial and reversible change of the electrical and optical properties of the heterostructure. This strategy opens the way towards a next generation of hybrid multifunctional materials and devices of direct application in highly topical fields like electronics, spintronics or molecular sensing

Bottom‐Up Fabrication of Semiconductive Metal-Organic Framework Ultrathin Films

Though generally considered insulating, recent progress on the discovery of conductive porous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) offers new opportunities for their integration as electroactive components in electronic devices. Compared to classical semiconductors, these metal-organic hybrids combine the crystallinity of inorganic materials with easier chemical functionalization and processability. Still, future development depends on the ability to produce high-quality films with fine control over their orientation, crystallinity, homogeneity, and thickness. Here self-assembled monolayer substrate modification and bottom-up techniques are used to produce preferentially oriented, ultrathin, conductive films of Cu-CAT-1. The approach permits to fabricate and study the electrical response of MOF-based devices incorporating the thinnest MOF film reported thus far (10 nm thick)