Abstract
Temperature measurement at the nanoscale is of paramount importance in the fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology, and calls for the development of versatile, high-resolution thermometry techniques. Here, the working principle and quantitative performance of a cost-effective nanothermometer are experimentally demonstrated, using a molecular spin-crossover thin film as a surface temperature sensor, probed optically. We evidence highly reliable thermometric performance (diffraction-limited sub-µm spatial, µs temporal and 1 °C thermal resolution), which stems to a large extent from the unprecedented quality of the vacuum-deposited thin films of the molecular complex [Fe(HB(1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)3)2] used in this work, in terms of fabrication and switching endurance (>107 thermal cycles in ambient air). As such, our results not only afford for a fully-fledged nanothermometry method, but set also a forthcoming stage in spin-crossover research, which has awaited, since the visionary ideas of Olivier Kahn in the 90’s, a real-world, technological application.
Highlights
Temperature measurement at the nanoscale is of paramount importance in the fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology, and calls for the development of versatile, high-resolution thermometry techniques
These techniques can see their performance deteriorate rapidly, mainly due tostability issues. These surface-coating methods can be classified as semi-invasive because they may involve a potential disturbance in the temperature field, the integration of temperature-sensitive phase-change materials (PCMs) appears as a promising approach, offering a multitude of possibilities in terms of thermal sensitivity, thermometric properties, and readout[25,26,27,28]
This compound exhibits an exceptionally high spin-state switching endurance and long-term stability upon repeated thermal cycling. Taking advantage of this unprecedented feature, together with its remarkable spin-transition properties, we experimentally demonstrate that thin films of 1 can be used as a highperformance temperature sensor, probed by optical reflectivity, for visualizing and measuring the surface temperature
Summary
Temperature measurement at the nanoscale is of paramount importance in the fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology, and calls for the development of versatile, high-resolution thermometry techniques. These techniques can see their performance deteriorate rapidly, mainly due to (photo)stability issues These surface-coating methods can be classified as semi-invasive because they may involve a potential disturbance in the temperature field, the integration of temperature-sensitive phase-change materials (PCMs) appears as a promising approach, offering a multitude of possibilities in terms of thermal sensitivity, thermometric properties, and readout[25,26,27,28]. In this context, molecular spin-crossover (SCO) materials constitute a promising class of PCM for surface thermometry and thermal-imaging applications. This issue has constituted so far, the longstanding blocking point for SCO molecules
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