Design of molecular ferromagnets

A large variety of molecular ferromagnets have been synthesized since the discovery of the first organic ferromagnets, including pure organic compounds, organometallic charge-transfer complexes, metal complex-organic radical compounds, and transition metal complexes coupled to organic radicals. Besides, there are many reports on the observation of ferromagnetism in polymers and organic matrix composites. Molecular ferromagnets have great potential in different areas of technology such as low frequency magnetic shielding, magnetic imaging, magneto-optics and information storage. We provide a brief review on the current strategies for the design of molecular (organic) ferromagnets. This includes exploiting the inherent advantages of molecular systems, such as the ability to fine-tune the properties at the molecular level, and to control dimensionality, supramolecular structuring and hierarchy of spin interactions etc. for carrying out structural modifications and chemical functionalisations of stable open-shell molecules in order to generate supramolecular structures in which the natural prediction for antiparallel spin alignment (antiferromagnetism) is avoided.