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Letter

Nature Materials 7, 48–51 (1 January 2008) | doi:10.1038/nmat2067

Thermochromism in an organic crystal based on the coexistence of |[sigma]|- and |[pi]|-dimers

Yasushi Morita , Shuichi Suzuki , Kozo Fukui , Shigeaki Nakazawa , Hiroshi Kitagawa , Hideo Kishida , Hiroshi Okamoto , Akira Naito , Akiko Sekine , Yuji Ohashi , Motoo Shiro , Katsunari Sasaki , Daisuke Shiomi , Kazunobu Sato , Takeji Takui & Kazuhiro Nakasuji

Transition-metal complexes and organic radical molecules can be used to make electric conductors and ferromagnets, the optical properties of which can be controlled by changing temperature and are used as molecular switches and sensors. Whereas a number of organic radicals in solution show temperature-dependent optical properties, such behaviour in crystalline forms is more rare.