At the BESSY II facility in Berlin, researchers have successfully measured the highest magnetic anisotropy ever recorded for a single molecule. A greater degree of anisotropy indicates that a molecule is a more effective molecular nanomagnet. These nanomagnets hold significant promise for various applications, particularly in energy-efficient data storage.
At the Berlin synchrotron radiation source BESSY II, researchers have successfully measured the highest magnetic anisotropy ever recorded for a single molecule. A greater degree of anisotropy indicates that a molecule is a more effective molecular nanomagnet. These nanomagnets hold significant promise for various applications, particularly in energy-efficient data storage. The study involved collaborators from the Max Planck Institute for Kohlenforschung (MPI KOFO), the Joint Lab EPR4Energy at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion (MPI CEC), and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin.
The study focused on a bismuth complex developed in the lab of Josep Cornella (MPI KOFO). This particular molecule exhibits remarkable magnetic characteristics that were recently predicted by a team led by Frank Neese (MPI KOFO) through theoretical research. However, all prior attempts to experimentally verify its magnetic properties had been unsuccessful.
This key milestone was reached by employing THz electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (THz-EPR) at the BESSY II synchrotron radiation facility, managed by HZB in Berlin.
“The findings intriguingly demonstrate that our method can accurately measure exceptionally high values of magnetic anisotropy,” stated Tarek Al Said (HZB), the lead author of the study recently published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. “Our collaboration with fundamental research experts is advancing our comprehension of this category of materials.”
