MULTICYCHEM

Multifunctional Molecular Magnets through Cyanide Chemistry

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'During the last decade, the most pressing technological problems have been alternative fuel storage and its controlled release, selective sorption, molecular sensing and processing of gasses, and high density data recording and storage, and information processing on a molecular level. These technological demands have led to an urgent need for new generations of intelligent materials, which, as opposed to conventional solids, can combine multiple functions. Molecular materials are well-suited to address these needs. In general molecular solids can be obtained via self assembly of the rationally designed pre-organized building blocks. However, achieving multifunctionality is a very challenging task requiring specific synthetic approach and close collaboration between chemists, physicists and materials scientists.

The main purpose of the project is to develop rational strategies towards multifunctionality in molecular solids and in particular to design, obtain and characterize novel multifunctional molecular magnetic materials: (i) photo-switchable magnets where magnetization can be switched with light, (ii) porous magnets – compounds magnetically responsive to guest-molecules, (iii) enantiopure chiral magnets – compounds combining natural and magnetic optical activity and showing fascinating cross-effects.

The title multifunctional compounds will be pursued via cyanide chemistry. Selected paramagnetic building blocks will be linked together in a rational way using cyanide or organocyanide ligands into 0-, 1-, 2- and 3-dimensional coordination assemblies. Additional functionalities will be introduced by incorporating appropriate auxiliary organic ligands. The obtained compounds will be investigated using state-of-the-art physical techniques including single-crystal neutron diffraction, magneto-optical measurements and muon spectroscopy.

Overall, the studies will lead to novel multifunctional magnetic solids with possible technological applications.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Researchers have created many new magnetic materials whose properties can be altered through changes in pressure and/or temperature, or exposure to light.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Molecular materials offer potential applications in molecular sensors, data recording and storage, and information processing. These materials are created through self-assembling molecular building blocks at low temperatures (close to absolute zero), which makes them incredibly difficult to synthesise.

The EU-funded http://www2.chemia.uj.edu.pl/znmm/mcchem-en.html (MULTICYCHEM) (Multifunctional molecular magnets through cyanide chemistry) project worked to develop strategies for the design and synthesis of several multifunctional molecules.

Using cyanide molecules, the project created several types of magnetic materials, including light-switchable magnets and porous magnetic compounds. For porous magnetic materials, four new molecules were created and characterised.

Three of these can be switched on and off by the reversible removal of methanol molecules. The fourth showed the strongest magnetic properties ever reported for a cyanide-based molecular material.

Another major breakthrough for MULTICYCHEM was creating molecules whose characteristics change in response to changes in pressure and temperature. This includes a range of physical parameters like ferromagnetism, photomagnetism, changes in colour and changes in direction of magnetism.

Project researchers also created several molecules and salts that become magnetic when exposed to green laser light. Further work in this area focused on crystallising the compounds for in-depth analysis.

Scientists developed and characterised many new materials through an iterative design process that should eventually have real-world applications. While molecular materials are still some time away from use in commercial applications, MULTICYCHEM has improved our understanding of them substantially.