Liquid-filled valence tautomeric microcapsules : a solid material with solution-like behavior

The integration of stimuli-responsive valence tautomeric (VT) molecular systems into solid materials without compromising their functionality is a major bottleneck for the use of these compounds in high-added value applications. In this work, an innovative, simple, and universal approach is described to tackle this challenge based on the confinement of the active species into liquid-filled polymeric capsules. A microstructured solid with optimized solution-like behavior is obtained in this way, whose VT properties can be rationally tuned upon variation of the encapsulated solvent. Incorporation of the resulting capsules into thin films or other matrices of interest allows successful transfer of valence tautomerism from the liquid phase to solid materials, thus paving the way to the fabrication of functional devices based on spin transition compounds

Liquid-filled valence tautomeric microcapsules: A solid material with solution-like behavior

The integration of stimuli-responsive valence tautomeric (VT) molecular systems into solid materials without compromising their functionality is a major bottleneck for the use of these compounds in high-added value applications. In this work, an innovative, simple, and universal approach is described to tackle this challenge based on the confinement of the active species into liquid-filled polymeric capsules. A microstructured solid with optimized solution-like behavior is obtained in this way, whose VT properties can be rationally tuned upon variation of the encapsulated solvent. Incorporation of the resulting capsules into thin films or other matrices of interest allows successful transfer of valence tautomerism from the liquid phase to solid materials, thus paving the way to the fabrication of functional devices based on spin transition compounds.N.A.V.-M. thanks the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN) for a predoctoral FPU (Formación de Profesorado Universitario) fellowship. This work was supported by projects MAT2012-38318-C03-02 and CTQ2012-30853 from the Spanish Government and by FEDER funds (European Funds for Regional Development). ICN2 acknowledges support from the Severo Ochoa Program (Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Grant SEV-2013-0295). Authors also thank Cost Action MP1106 and CM1101.Peer Reviewe