An Invitation to Molecular Magnetism

Abstract

Molecular magnetism is a new and extremely fascinating field on the borders of chemistry, physics and materials science. The design and synthesis of molecule-based magnets requires the chemist to exert considerable control over the molecules to arrange them appropriately. It also demands the development of new theories to explain the complex magneto-structural behaviour of these intriguing solids. Molecular magnetism is still at a very early stage of development. The main challenge is to increase the strength of the magnetic interactions between spin carriers so the resulting materials can be usable at room temperature. However, molecular magnets exhibit true potential to become multifunctional materials. They show some considerable advantages over conventional magnets: optical transparency, chemical sensitivity and low weight to name just a few. The following article is not a complete review of the field. Its aim is rather to show how beautiful and versatile magnetic molecular solids can be, and to encourage the in-depth study of the subject.