Group description

For more than 25 years, the group has gathered together chemists, physical-chemists and physicists around photo-, piezo- and / or thermo-switchable molecular materials. This research activity fits into the general context of the development of new materials for information processing devices, pigments and sensors.

Our research themes concern multifunctional materials (photo-, piezo, thermo-commutation), materials science (optimization of properties by shaping) and molecular nanoscience (data processing, sensors). We imagine, conceive, characterize, understand, optimize and develop new molecular materials exhibiting switchable properties under external stimulation (temperature, light, pressure, current…).

The most important originality of the molecular materials that are developed and studied by the group, lies in their bistable nature, namely the presence of two different electronic states, depending on external stimulation such as pressure, temperature and / or light irradiation. Switching between these states, associated with the phenomenon of spin crossover (SCO) and/or electron transfer (ET), is accompanied by significant modifications of their mechanical, structural, dielectric, magnetic, optical and thermal properties. In addition, these modifications can be accompanied by a memory effect that in some cases can happen at room temperature, which is of high interest for data processing in solid-state devices.

Our activity is based on a proven expertise in molecular chemistry for the design and synthesis of new architectures with original, controlled and optimized properties. Our recognition in the field of photomagnetism, in close connection with an expertise in crystallography, is based on rigorous characterizations of the switching properties, leading us to a fine understanding of the structure-properties relationships at different scales of the material. Particular attention has been paid to the shaping of molecular materials (nanoparticles, molecular ceramics, thin films, etc.), particularly for issues related to charge transport in molecular nanodevices. We recently focus our attention towards the use of such switchable compounds into barocaloric devices for refrigeration devices.