Facile preparation of hybrid thin films composed of spin-crossover nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes for electrical memory devices

In this study, organic solvent-dispersible nanoparticles of an Fe-II-1,2,4-triazole spin-crossover complex were synthesized. On mixing the suspension of the spin-crossover nanoparticles with a solution of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), the nanoparticles were strongly adsorbed on the hydrophobic SWCNT bundles, resulting in hybrid network structures. Variable temperature DC electrical conductivity measurements of the hybrid network thin films demonstrated that the conductivities of the composite films were switched by the spin transition of the nanoparticles.