New unusual magnetic complexes: synthesis, electronic and magnetic properties

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Martin Knupfer
• Subject Area: Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
• Term: from 2013 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 213590445

This proposed interdisciplinary project ideally combines the expertise of the German partner in the physics/spectroscopy and the Russian partner in phosphorus and organometallic chemistry. The aim of the project is to create new advanced magnetic materials, using a new synthetic approach starting from non-magnetic transition metal precursors and novel non-innocent phosphorus ligands, which drastically expands the range of new materials. Preliminary joint studies demonstrate that such complexes of usually diamagnetic metal atoms exhibit paramagnetic properties. Their molecular structure reveals a significant metal-to-ligand charge transfer and redistribution of electron density in the ligand, which provides through-bond interaction between the metals centers. Unusual magnetic properties of such complexes and non-clear oxidation states of the metal atoms give a spur to understand the fundamental aspects of their electronic structure and magnetism. For this purpose we plan to apply spectroscopic methods (PES, NEXAFS, XMCD) to determine the electronic structure in detail. Further understanding of the electron density distribution will be achieved via X-ray precision experiments and theoretical calculations. The established magneto-structural correlations will provide the possibility of tuning magnetic properties via adjusting peripheral substituents.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Russia
• Partner Organisation: Russian Foundation for Basic Research
• Participating Persons: Professor Dr. Bernd Büchner; Dr. Olga Kataeva