Transition Metal Clusters as Single-Molecule Magnets

University Of Florida, Gainesville FL

Investigators

Abstract

Prof. George Christou, of the University of Florida Department of Chemistry, is supported by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry program for his research that focuses on the synthesis and study of single molecule magnets (SMMs), individual molecules that can function as nanoscale magnetic particles. The aim of this research is to develop a detailed understanding of the single-molecule magnetism phenomenon, especially those properties directly impacting on their potential application in magnetic devices, as well as the raising of the operating temperatures by modifying known SMMs and new ones that are discovered. An improved understanding of both the chemistry and physics of these molecular nanomagnets will include the recently identified new phenomena of exchange-biased quantum tunneling and quantum coherence. New synthetic procedures will be developed to high nuclearity metal complexes, particularly of manganese to increase magnetoanisotropy and spin (S) values over currently available SMMs. This study concentrated on magnetism and magnetic materials, and focused on single molecule magnets will extend the synthesis and characterization of these new potentially technologically important materials. Magnetic nanostructures are widely used in technology, with the most advanced applications found in information processing. This research will provide the underlying knowledge needed for potential new advanced applications, including as quantum bits (qubits) for quantum computations, taking advantage of the quantum tunneling properties of SMMs. Graduate students, undergraduate students and postdoctoral associates will receive excellent training in synthetic materials methodology and the characterization of new single molecule magnets in an interdisciplinary inorganic chemistry program.