On-Surface Synthesis of a Ferromagnetic Molecular Spin Trimer
Triangulenes are prototypical examples of open-shell nanographenes. Their magnetic properties, arising from the presence of unpaired π electrons, can be extensively tuned by modifying their size and shape or by introducing heteroatoms. Different triangulene derivatives have been designed and synthesized in recent years thanks to the development of on-surface synthesis strategies. Triangulene-based nanostructures with polyradical character, hosting several interacting spin units, can be challenging to fabricate but are particularly interesting for potential applications in carbon-based spintronics. Here, we combine pristine and N-doped triangulenes into a more complex nanographene, <b>TTAT</b>, predicted to possess three unpaired π electrons delocalized along the zigzag periphery. We generate the molecule on a Au(111) surface and detect direct fingerprints of multiradical coupling and high-spin state using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. With the support of theoretical calculations, we show that its three radical units are localized at distinct parts of the molecule and couple via symmetric ferromagnetic interactions, which result in a <i>S</i> = 3/2 ground state, thus demonstrating the realization of a molecular ferromagnetic Heisenberg spin trimer.
Authors
- Fabian Schulz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1359-4675)
- Diego Peña (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3814-589X)
- Francisco Romero‐Lara (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7009-460X)
- Alessio Vegliante (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-6042-5015)
- Thomas Frederiksen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7523-7641)
- José Ignacio Pascual (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7152-4747)
- Emilio Artacho (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9357-1547)
- Diego Soler‐Polo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9215-4151)
- Stefano Trivini (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8051-8683)
- Hassan Ahmoum (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4355-4647)
- Pavel Jelı́nek (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5645-8542)
- Manuel Vilas‐Varela (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6768-5441)
- Ricardo Ortiz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3535-0812)
- Manish Kumar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-7813-5209)
- Lucía Gómez-Rodrigo
Institutions
- Ikerbasque (ES)
- Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (ES)
- University of Cambridge (GB)
- Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (ES)
- CIC nanoGUNE (ES)
- FZU ‒ Institute of Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (CZ)
- Material Physics Center (ES)
- Donostia International Physics Center (ES)
- Palacký University Olomouc (CZ)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of the American Chemical Society
- Published
- 2025-05-30
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.4c15736
- Citations
- 7
- Primary Topic
- Molecular Junctions and Nanostructures
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 5.11
Funders
- Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades
- Hezkuntza, Hizkuntza Politika Eta Kultura Saila, Eusko Jaurlaritza
- European Commission
- Ministerstvo Školství, Mládeže a Tělovýchovy
- Grantová Agentura České Republiky
- Eusko Jaurlaritza
- Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea
- Xunta de Galicia
- Centro Singular de Investigación de Galicia
- Diputación Foral de Gipuzkoa
- Ministerio de Educación y Formación Profesional
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
- European Research Council
- European Regional Development Fund
- Agencia Estatal de Investigación
- H2020 European Research Council
- H2020 Future and Emerging Technologies
- HORIZON EUROPE Digital, Industry and Space
- HORIZON EUROPE European Research Council