Bulky Indoline Ligand-Metal Complexes and Their Application in The Synthesis of Single-Molecule Magnets

Presenters/Authors(s)

Noah Walsh, Ivie Minney, Brian Dolinar

Abstract or Description

Many modern hard drives and information storage devices rely upon magnetic memory in order to store information. Currently, the amount of information that can be stored within a hard drive depends on the number of magnets within that hard drive. The smallest magnets in existence, so called “single-molecule magnets,” are of particular interest due to their extremely small size relative to the traditional magnets present in current data storage devices. Unfortunately, extant single-molecule magnets only demonstrate magnetic memory at extremely low temperatures (below 80 kelvin). This behavior is the result of magnetic relaxation phenomena, which arises from the magnetic anisotropy present in these molecules. To improve single-molecule magnet performance, our group seeks to develop single-molecule magnets containing high spin transition metal centers bonded to lanthanide atoms. These compounds require bulky ligands to limit the coordination sphere around the metal atom and to help stabilize the metal-ligand complex. Currently, several bulky indolent ligands have been synthesized following traditional organic synthesis techniques and are being reacted alongside various transition metals (including zinc and manganese) in attempt to synthesize metal-ligand complexes.