Progress and design challenges for high‑spin molecules

Lemaire, Martin T.

doi:10.1351/PAC-CON-10-10-20

Pure Appl. Chem., 2011, Vol. 83, No. 1, pp. 141-149

http://dx.doi.org/10.1351/PAC-CON-10-10-20

Published online 2010-11-12

Progress and design challenges for high‑spin molecules*

Martin T. Lemaire

Department of Chemistry, Brock University, 500 Glenridge Avenue, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada

Abstract: In this short critical review, selected examples of current (within the past two years) synthetic efforts toward the construction of high-spin molecules are explored, including the use of metal complexes containing stable free radical ligands, lanthanide or actinide complexes, and other coordination clusters, or a completely different approach, taking advantage of non-Heisenberg exchange in fully delocalized mixed-valence complexes (spin-dependent delocalization, SDD, or double exchange). A description of reported work in this regard is followed by a brief general discussion that highlights what the future may hold for high-spin molecule design.

*Pure Appl. Chem. 83, 1–252 (2011). A collection of invited, peer-reviewed articles by former winners of the IUPAC Prize for Young Chemists, in celebration of the International Year of Chemistry 2011.