Molecular Thin Films: Growth, Magnetism and Spintronic Applications
Lead Research Organisation:
Imperial College London
Department Name: Materials
Abstract
Molecular magnets offer attractive characteristics compared to their inorganic counterparts, such as low temperature processing routes, low cost, chemical purity, and biocompatibility. Furthermore, molecular materials possess incomparable versatility thanks to various organic synthesis routes that have been developed to modify various components. Therefore, they can be modified in order to incorporate multiple functionalities, such as for example semiconducting and magnetic, which is extremely attractive for spintronic applications, where the spin of the electron is used to store and trasnmit information for example.However, the incorporation of these novel materials into devices has been hampered by the lack of progress into the generation of controlled thin films and heterostructures. This project aims to develop new types of magnetic thin films based on polyaromatic compounds such as phthalocyanines and porphyrin, which are archetypal molecular semiconductors but also contain transition metals which can carry a non-zero spin. In particular, organic vapour phase deposition (OVPD) will be optimised for the growth of charge-transfer complexes including electron accepting components such as tetracyano derivatives, which, in crystals obtained from solutions, have shown unique characteristics such as exceptionally high coercivity. The magnetic properties will be optimised to improve either the transition temperatures/coercivity or the facility with which the magnetic coupling can be switched using external triggers. Of particular interest will be to use the thin film's well-established optoelectronic properties to influence the magnetic coupling, thereby offering perspectives on their use in spintronic applications.
People |
ORCID iD |
Sandrine Heutz (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Gardener JA
(2010)
A novel route for the inclusion of metal dopants in silicon.
in Nanotechnology
Goode A
(2017)
Analytical transmission electron microscopy at organic interfaces
in Current Opinion in Solid State and Materials Science
Attwood M
(2021)
Asymmetric N -heteroacene tetracene analogues as potential n-type semiconductors
in Journal of Materials Chemistry C
Stott J
(2011)
Bottom-Contact Pentacene Thin-Film Transistors on Silicon Nitride
in IEEE Electron Device Letters
Kim D
(2020)
Comparison of organic and inorganic layers for structural templating of pentacene thin films
in Materials Horizons
Wade J
(2022)
Controlling anisotropic properties by manipulating the orientation of chiral small molecules
in Nature Chemistry
Wu Z
(2019)
Controlling Ferromagnetic Ground States and Solitons in Thin Films and Nanowires Built from Iron Phthalocyanine Chains
in Advanced Functional Materials
Tay SE
(2016)
Direct in situ observation of ZnO nucleation and growth via transmission X-ray microscopy.
in Nanoscale
Illy B
(2011)
Electrodeposition of ZnO layers for photovoltaic applications: controlling film thickness and orientation
in Journal of Materials Chemistry
Description | - Magnetic molecular films and nanostructures - New growth methods for molecular nanostructures and films - Molecule-based spintronic devices - Spin-based metrology - Photogeneration of coupled spin states - development of methodologies to image buried hard-soft interfaces. |
Exploitation Route | Implementation into spintronic devices, flexible electronics, metrology for hard-soft interface imaging or spin-based characterisation. |
Sectors | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software) Education Electronics Energy Environment Healthcare Manufacturing including Industrial Biotechology |
URL | https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/s.heutz |
Description | Outreach - communication with the public Technology - spin-based (bio)sensor Policy - place of molecular materials in ICT through spintronics; Industry - use of methodologies to image hard-soft interface. |
First Year Of Impact | 2011 |
Sector | Chemicals,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education,Electronics,Energy,Environment,Healthcare,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Security and Diplomacy |
Impact Types | Cultural Societal Economic Policy & public services |
Description | MatSEEC |
Geographic Reach | Europe |
Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
Impact | MatSEEC is an ESF Temporary Expert Committee in the remit of and associated with the ESF Standing Committee for Physical and Engineering Sciences (PEN (formerly PESC)) with a task related term of 5 years starting on the date of its inauguration meeting. The mission shall include delivering foresight reports and scientific advice to PEN (formerly PESC) and ESF on issues related to Materials Science and Engineering and matters of concern to the related scientific communities, as well as to European National Agencies and Ministries, institutions of the European Commission, and the European Strategic Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) upon request. The mission also included tasks related to peer-review and assessment of scientific research proposals. Further the Committee provided foresight surveys and scientific advice to ESF member organisations and European organisations. The Committee prepared strategic policy documents. |
URL | http://www.esf.org/hosting-experts/expert-boards-and-committees/materials-science-and-engineering.ht... |
Description | CASE |
Amount | £27,300 (GBP) |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2015 |
End | 10/2018 |
Description | Foundations of Molecular Nanospintronics |
Amount | £124,259 (GBP) |
Funding ID | EP/H002022/1 |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 11/2009 |
End | 04/2014 |
Description | ICAM |
Amount | £300,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | BP (British Petroleum) |
Sector | Private |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 11/2013 |
End | 04/2018 |
Description | PhD studentship |
Amount | £21,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Kurt J Lesker Company |
Sector | Private |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 02/2015 |
End | 02/2018 |
Description | SPIN-Lab |
Amount | £1,907,000 (GBP) |
Funding ID | EP/P030548/1 |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2017 |
End | 03/2018 |
Description | COST Molecular Spintronics |
Organisation | University of Florence |
Department | Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff" |
Country | Italy |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | I am part of the European COST centre in MOlecular Spintronics. I am participating in workshops and conferences and seeding collaborations. I have a strong collaboration with Professor Roberta Sessoli at the University of Florence and the COST action funded one of my PhD student's stay in Florence for 2 weeks. My contribution is in the fabrication of molecular thin films. |
Collaborator Contribution | My collaborators in Florence contribute novel methodologies for the measurements of magnetic properties. |
Impact | 10. M. Perfetti, M. Serri, L. Poggini, M. Mannini, P. Sainctavit, S. Heutz, R. Sessoli, Molecular order in buried layers of TbPc2 Single-Molecule Magnets detected by torque magnetometry, Adv. Mater. 28 (2016) 6946. |
Start Year | 2015 |
Description | Collaboration with Grand Challenge/TSB |
Organisation | Imperial College London |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Contribution and collaboration with Professor Mary Ryan's programme "Development of Prototype High Efficiency Multi-Junction Organic Solar Cells" (EP/J500161/1) |
Start Year | 2009 |
Description | Inclusion into UK-Japan partnership |
Organisation | Nagoya University |
Country | Japan |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | The PI has been included into a UK-Japan programme on "Radical New Materials for Organic Electronics", participated in workshops and hosted students. |
Start Year | 2009 |
Description | Inclusion into UK-Japan partnership |
Organisation | University of Edinburgh |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | The PI has been included into a UK-Japan programme on "Radical New Materials for Organic Electronics", participated in workshops and hosted students. |
Start Year | 2009 |
Description | Participation in UK-Japan research collaboration |
Organisation | Nagoya University |
Country | Japan |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | The PI has been included into a UK-Japan programme on "Radical New Materials for Organic Electronics", participated in workshops and hosted students. |
Start Year | 2009 |
Description | School partnership (Coleridge) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Developed a project on solar cells with local primary school. Obtained through Royal Society Partnership grant "juiced up and solar empowered". Involved targeted classroom activities (targeted 240 children) and presentation to the school (targeted 360 children) |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
URL | https://royalsociety.org/grants-schemes-awards/grants/partnership-grants/ |
Description | Soapbox science |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Participated to soapbox science event supported by l'Oreal for/via women in Science. Entitled: "From car paint to supercomputers, the story of multitasking molecules". Reached general public and media (http://www.theguardian.com/careers/women-science-careers) |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |
URL | http://soapboxscience.org/?page_id=7 |