title: Hybrid Fibrillar Xerogels with Unusual Magnetic Properties.
abstract: We report on the preparation of a hybrid nanomaterial made up of 1D filaments of an antiferromagnetic self-assembling bicopper complex encapsulated in polymer nanofibrils. The encapsulation process is achieved through the heterogeneous nucleation of the growth of polymer fibrils obtained by thermoreversible gelation as shown by calorimetry experiments. Neutron scattering experiments confirm that the filaments of a bicopper complex retain their 1D character after encapsulation in the fibrils. Superconducting quantum interference device experiments show that the bicopper complex, originally in the gapped spin state in the 3D bulk mesophase, displays a gapless behavior once encapsulated. Extended absorption fine structure and infrared results further highlight the difference in the molecular arrangement of the bicopper complex between the bulk mesophase and the encapsulated state, which may account for the magnetic behavior. This material, which is largely disordered, differs totally from the usual magnetic systems where this effect is observed only on highly crystalline systems with long-range order. Also, this hybrid material is very easy to prepare from its basic constituents and can be further processed in many ways.
authors.affiliation: Institut Charles Sadron, CNRS UPR22-Université de Strasbourg , 23 rue du Loess, F-67034 Strasbourg Cedex 02, France.
authors.forename: Athmane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boulaoued
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Charles Coulomb (L2C), UMR 5221 CNRS-Université de Montpellier , 34095 Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Louis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Bantignies
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Charles Coulomb (L2C), UMR 5221 CNRS-Université de Montpellier , 34095 Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Rozenn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Le Parc
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Charles Coulomb (L2C), UMR 5221 CNRS-Université de Montpellier , 34095 Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Goze-Bac
authors.affiliation: Institut Charles Sadron, CNRS UPR22-Université de Strasbourg , 23 rue du Loess, F-67034 Strasbourg Cedex 02, France.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mésini
authors.affiliation: Institut Charles Sadron, CNRS UPR22-Université de Strasbourg , 23 rue du Loess, F-67034 Strasbourg Cedex 02, France.
authors.forename: Thi-Thanh-Tam
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: Institut Charles Sadron, CNRS UPR22-Université de Strasbourg , 23 rue du Loess, F-67034 Strasbourg Cedex 02, France.
authors.forename: Abdelaziz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al Ouahabi
authors.affiliation: Institut Charles Sadron, CNRS UPR22-Université de Strasbourg , 23 rue du Loess, F-67034 Strasbourg Cedex 02, France.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lutz
authors.affiliation: Institut Charles Sadron, CNRS UPR22-Université de Strasbourg , 23 rue du Loess, F-67034 Strasbourg Cedex 02, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Michel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Guenet