In this #ChemSciPicks David Schultz et al. present the photoinduced electron spin polarisation (ESP) of a spin- ½ organic radical (nitronyl nitroxide), in a series of Pt(II) complexes comprised of 4,4’-di-tert-butyl-2,2’-bipyridine and 3-tert-butylcatecholate (CAT) ligands, where the CAT ligand is substituted with (CH3)n-meta-phenyl-NN groups.