Preparation of Paramagnetic Coordination Complexes and Molecular Materials with Designed Magnetic Properties

North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC

Investigators

Abstract

This award in the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry program supports Professor David Shultz of North Carolina State University for research exploring the molecular design, synthesis, and characterization of new magnetic molecular solids. These new magnetic coordination polymers will incorporate ligands including chelating quinone methide semiquinone (QMSQ) ligands or heterospin biradicals comprised of multiple, chemically distinct paramagnetic functional groups. The project aims to investigate whether donor-acceptor interactions in organic molecules can be used to control exchange coupling. The knowledge gained from these systematic studies will increase our understanding of fundamental properties in magnetic molecular solids, including electron transfer matrix elements in donor-acceptor molecules and exchange interactions in biradicals. This research will stimulate theoreticians working to understand magnetic interactions in single molecules, and may ultimately advance the chemistry needed for the applications of these materials, for example, in information storage technologies. The research is aimed at the development of new spin-electronic or "spintronic" molecular materials that may provide combined advantages of spin (e.g., bistable, switchable systems) and molecular functionality (e.g., redox activity, near-IR absorption, etc.). This research will allow systematic investigations of novel structures to address significant issues in single molecule magnetism, and could result in new, switchable, microwave-absorbing materials that could be used for security applications or in materials for information storage technologies. Graduate students, undergraduate students and postdoctoral associates will receive excellent training in synthesis and characterization of new molecular magnetic materials in a forefront inorganic chemistry program.