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Spectral and Angle-Resolved Magneto-Optical Characterization of Photonic Nanostructures
Published on: November 21, 2019
Structure-distortion-induced photomagnetic effect in azobenzene/polyoxometalate Langmuir-Blodgett films
Takashi Yamamoto1, Yasushi Umemura, Yasuaki Einaga
1Department of Chemistry, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Yokohama 223-8522, Japan. takyama@chem.keio.ac.jp einaga@chem.keio.ac.jp.
Abstract:
We have prepared photomagnetic Langmuir-Blodgett films composed of an amphiphilic azobenzene and a magnetic polyoxometalate. The obtained film possesses a well-organized layered structure where polyoxometalate anions are sandwiched by azobenzene cations in a single-layered manner. Reversible photoisomerization of azobenzene was achieved even at low temperature, accompanying intensity changes in the d-d transition of polyoxometalate anions. The photomagnetic effect was observed reversibly upon alternate UV and visible light irradiation. Based on polarized spectroscopy, the observed photomagnetic effect is ascribed to the structure-distortion of polyoxometalate layers.
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When atoms or molecules absorb light at the proper frequency, their electrons are excited to higher-energy orbitals. For many main group atoms and molecules, the absorbed photons are in the ultraviolet range of the electromagnetic spectrum, which cannot be detected by the human eye. For coordination compounds, the energy difference between the d orbitals often allows photons in the visible range to be absorbed and emitted, which is seen as colors by the human eye.

