MOLECULAR MAGNETIC QUANTUM DOTS IN MULTIVALENT METAL CLUSTER COMPOUNDS

In most magnetic molecular clusters studied so far, localized moments of metal ions are coupled by superexchange interactions via ligand ato ms to yield the total moment of the cluster, which is basically a piec e of a magnetic insulator. Here we present an experimental and theoret ical study of another form of molecular magnetism, arising from unfill ed molecular orbitals delocalized over the entire metal cores of molec ular metal clusters. These cores thus act as nanosize quantum dots, in which the metal valence electrons are confined. [S0031-9007(98)07157- 9].