Formation of hybrid spin crossover polymer microspheres

We report the formation of hybrid metallopolymer microspheres, deposited from an acetonitrile solution containing a known iron(3+) spin crossover complex bearing a thienyl substituent. We characterize the metallopolymer using SEM, FT-IR, elemental analysis (including C, H, N, S, Fe analyses), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) techniques, and PXRD. Of greatest significance, the polymeric microspheres also exhibit spin crossover, conferring on metallopolymer 2 the first spin crossover nanoscale material of its kind.