Design and synthesis of a library of molecule-based magnets: The charge-transfer salt approach

The rules governing magnetic coupling in molecule-based materials are still being defined. Until they are clear, synthetic efforts should ideally yiel d many new candidate magnets for a minimal investment of time and effort. O ne approach that satisfies this requirement is the synthesis of magnetic ch arge-transfer salts from metallocenes and easily identifiable organic accep ters. This strategy offers the possibility of synthesizing a library of str ucturally related compounds utilizing tunable building blocks and has yield ed examples exhibiting interesting magnetic phenomena including ferromagnet ism, metamagnetism, canted (weak) ferromagnetism, and spin glass behavior. In principle, this work should permit a systematic examination of structure -property relationships, leading to a better understanding of intermolecula r magnetic coupling. (C) 2001 Academic Press.