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Light- and temperature-induced electron transfer in single crystals of RbMn[Fe(CN)6]H2O

The first single crystals of Prussian Blue derivatives were synthesised displaying light- and temperature-induced switching between different electronic states. This was a critical breakthrough; single crystals are crucial for specialist measurements (e.g. time-resolved spectroscopic methods) to expose the optical switching mechanism, in turn key to optimising the material’s characteristics eg as molecular switches, pigments, battery and electrode components. Researchers elsewhere have prepared the first zero thermal expansion film based on this material (Chem. Mater., 2012, 24, 1324), also demonstrated electrical switching (JACS, 2009, 131, 15049) and tuning of second-order nonlinear optical activity (J. Phys. Chem. C, 2008, 112, 13095).