Giant negative magnetoresistance in Ni(quinoline-8-selenoate)2

Abstract

The magnetic, structural, conductivity and magnetoresistance properties of [Ni(quinoline-8-selenoate)2] ([Ni(qs)2]) have been studied. Despite the insolubility of the material necessitating its study as a powdered sample, a remarkably high conductivity has been measured. The conductivity is an order of magnitude greater than the thin-film processable thiol analogue previously reported and has been interpreted through the same space-charge limited conduction mechanism with charges injected from the electrodes. The introduction of selenium, results in a material with conductivity approaching metallic due to the enhanced interaction between adjacent molecules. Additionally, under an applied magnetic field, the material displays a negative magnetoresistance effect above 35% at 2 K. The effect can still be observed at 200 K and is interpreted in terms of a double-exchange mechanism.