Rational Approaches to Organic Ferromagnets Based on Neutral Radicals Appended to Organosulfur Donors

Abstract

The science of molecule-based materials is an exciting subject in light of its fundamental scientific interest and potential appli- cations. Considerable efforts are now being invested in developing strategies for the design and preparation of new materials involving an interplay or synergy between electrical conductivity and magnetic properties. This review examines approaches for the preparation of or- ganic conducting ferromagnets from organic spin systems in the form of stable organic radicals that are covalently appended to organo- sulfur donors. The concept of a spin-polarized donor and spin alignment via itinerant electrons is addressed, together with an overview of the most important classes of stable organic radicals. A full comprehensive discussion of progress and achievements in this area spanning the last 15 years is presented. in exceptional cases order ferromagnetically (12). In general, this approach has afforded materials in which the interactions between the two systems are weak. In contrast to the  -d model, there are remarkably few examples of rational synthetic strategies for the realization of purely organic conducting and magnetic materials (13). In this review we summarize the approaches that have been developed for the realization of organic spin systems that carry both localized and itinerant electron spins.