A Coordination Chemistry Approach to the Synthesis of Single- Molecule Magnets

In this project, funded by the Chemical Structure, Dynamic & Mechanism B Program of the Chemistry Division, Professor Jeffrey R. Long of the Department of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, is developing new classes of single-molecule magnets. These remarkable molecules behave as tiny, nanoscopic bar magnets, and therefore offer the potential to revolutionize technologies such as information storage and processing.

The primary focus of this project is to employ synthetic chemistry to tailor the local environment of molecules with atomic-level precision to give rise to new single-molecule magnets with optimized properties, with the ultimate goal of realizing single-molecule magnets that operate at or near room temperature. This project lies at the interface of inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry, and is therefore well-suited to broadly educate and train young scientists.

Finally, virtual science lessons on topics such as states of matter and magnetism will be produced in collaboration with a local community outreach program and taught to elemental school students in the Bay Area.

This project aims to develop novel synthetic approaches to enhance magnetic anisotropy, strengthen magnetic coupling, and increase magnetic relaxation times in single-molecule magnets, with the goal of realizing unprecedented operating temperatures. In addition to the myriad technological applications envisioned for single-molecule magnets, their size and electronic structure gives rise to the coexistence of classical and quantum properties, such as magnetic hysteresis and quantum tunneling of the magnetization, respectively.

Therefore, single-molecule magnets provide a platform that can be used to predictably engender and fundamentally study novel magnetic behavior at the intersection of quantum and classical physics. Further, the exotic transition metal, lanthanide, and actinide coordination environments that will be targeted for generating designer magnetism have the potential to engender novel chemical reactivity.

Finally, it is expected that the magnetic properties of the proposed molecules will afford direct insight into the behavior of other exotic though distinct magnetic species, such as surface adsorbed adatoms, single-chain magnets, and bulk magnetic materials.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.