A molecular crystal with an unprecedentedly long-lived photoexcited state

Modern History of Organic Conductors: An Overview

This short review article provides the reader with a summary of the history of organic conductors. To retain a neutral and objective point of view regarding the history, background, novelty, and details of each research subject within this field, a thousand references have been cited with full titles and arranged in chronological order. Among the research conducted over ~70 years, topics from the last two decades are discussed in more detail than the rest. Unlike other papers in this issue, this review will help readers to understand the origin of each topic within the field of organic conductors and how they have evolved. Due to the advancements achieved over these 70 years, the field is nearing new horizons. As history is often a reflection of the future, this review is expected to show the future directions of this research field.

Li4Ru2OCl10·10H2O: crystal structure, magnetic properties and bonding interactions in ruthenium-oxo complexes

The results of the structural determination, magnetic characterization, and theoretical calculations of a new ruthenium-oxo complex, Li₄[Ru₂OCl₁₀]·10H₂O, are presented. Single crystals were grown using solvent methods and the crystal structure was characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Li₄[Ru₂OCl₁₀]·10H₂O crystallizes into a low-symmetry triclinic structure (P1) due to the much smaller Li⁺ cation compared to K⁺ cation in the tetragonal complex K₄[Ru₂OCl₁₀]·H₂O. The X-ray photoelectron spectra confirm only the single valent Ru⁴⁺ in Li₄[Ru₂OCl₁₀]·10H₂O even though two distinct Ru sites exist in the crystal structure. Magnetic measurements reveal the diamagnetic property of Li₄[Ru₂OCl₁₀]·10H₂O with unpaired electrons existing on Ru⁴⁺. Furthermore, the molecular orbital analysis matches well with the observed UV and magnetic measurements.

Prototype Material for New Strategy of Photon Energy Storage

The smart utilization of photons is paid global attention from the viewpoint of renewable energy and information technology. However, it is still impossible to store photons as batteries and condensers do for electrons. All the present technologies utilize (the energy of) photons in situ, such as solar panels, or in spontaneous relaxation processes, such as photoluminescence. If we can store the energy of photons over an arbitrary period and utilize them on demand, not only we will make an innovative progress in energy management, but we will also be able to replace a part of electrons by photons in the information technology for more efficient performance. In this article, we review a prototype of such a material including the current status of related research as well as where we are heading for.