Switchable ErSc2N rotor within a C80 fullerene cage: an electron paramagnetic resonance and photoluminescence excitation study.
Motivated by the possibility of observing photoluminescence and electron paramagnetic resonance from the same species located within a fullerene molecule, we initiated an EPR study of Er3+ in ErSc2N@C80. Two orientations of the ErSc2N rotor within the C80 fullerene are observed in EPR, consistent with earlier studies using photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectroscopy. For some crystal field orientations, electron spin relaxation is driven by an Orbach process via the first excited electronic state of the 4I(15/2) multiplet. We observe a change in the relative populations of the two ErSc2N configurations upon the application of 532 nm illumination, and are thus able to switch the majority cage symmetry. This photoisomerization, observable by both EPR and PLE, is metastable, lasting many hours at 20 K.
Morton
John J L
JJ
Department of Materials, Oxford University, Oxford OX1 3PH, United Kingdom. john.morton@materials.ox.ac.uk
Tiwari
Archana
A
Dantelle
Geraldine
G
Porfyrakis
Kyriakos
K
Ardavan
Arzhang
A
Briggs
G Andrew D
GA