Surface polarons in Fe-based spin-crossover complexes – a perspective

Fe-based spin crossover (SCO) complexes are a highly versatile family of materials, especially for room-temperature device applications. In addition to their well-documented applications, this class of systems is now theorized to harbor both small and large polarons. Nevertheless, none of their promising applications can be truly realized until a solid understanding of their respective surfaces is obtained. In this Perspective, recent efforts (i) providing insights into the surface termination of some of the well-studied Fe-based SCO materials, and (ii) exploring the possibility of polaronic transport in these complexes, are discussed. Finally, the use of synchrotron-based vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation in order to detect the possible surface polarons in these systems is also proposed. The discussions contained herein are therefore expected to catalyze future investigations into the fabrication of room-temperature nanodevices that exploit polaronic transport in these complexes.