Synergetic spin crossover and fluorescence in one-dimensional hybrid complexes

Hybrid materials integrated with a variety of physical properties, such as spin crossover (SCO) and fluorescence, may show synergetic effects that find applications in many fields. Herein we demonstrate a promising post-synthetic approach to achieve such materials by grafting fluorophores (1-pyrenecarboxaldehyde and Rhodamine B) on one-dimensional SCO Fe^II structures. The resulting hybrid materials display expected one-step SCO behavior and fluorescent properties, in particular showing a coupling between the transition temperature of SCO and the temperature where the fluorescent intensity reverses. Consequently, synergetic effect between SCO and fluorescence is incorporated into materials despite different fluorophores. This study provides an effective strategy for the design and development of novel magnetic and optical materials.