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Updated: Aug 5, 2026

Magnetometric Characterization of Intermediates in the Solid-State Electrochemistry of Redox-Active Metal-Organic Frameworks
Published on: June 9, 2023
Engineering Altermagnetic Transitions in Two-Dimensional Metal-Organic Frameworks via Chemical Symmetry Breaking
Peibo Xu1,2, Yixuan Che1, Haifeng Lv3
1School of Emerging Technology and Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui230026, China.
Researchers developed a chemical strategy to create altermagnets, a novel magnetic phase, from antiferromagnetic materials. This method uses asymmetric ligand modification to engineer spin properties for spintronics applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Chemistry
Background:
- Altermagnets are exotic magnetic phases with momentum-dependent spin splitting and zero net magnetization, crucial for spintronics.
- Realizing altermagnets is challenging due to strict symmetry requirements.
- Antiferromagnets share magnetic order and zero net magnetization with altermagnets.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a general chemical strategy for designing altermagnetic materials.
- To transform 2D antiferromagnetic metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) into altermagnetic candidates.
- To demonstrate the chemical tunability of symmetry control in MOFs.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing asymmetric ligand modification on 2D antiferromagnetic MOFs.
- Employing first-principles calculations to analyze symmetry and spin properties.
- Using chromium phthalocyanine (CrPc) as a model system for proof-of-concept.
Main Results:
- Asymmetric modification of CrPc successfully lowered local site symmetry at Cr centers.
- Generated momentum-dependent spin splitting and anisotropic spin densities in the modified CrPc.
- Demonstrated chemical tunability via oxygen-modified CrPc derivatives.
Conclusions:
- A chemically driven strategy for engineering altermagnetic candidates from antiferromagnets is established.
- Asymmetric ligand modification is a viable route to control symmetry and generate desired spin properties.
- This work expands the design space for organic altermagnets and reticular materials with tailored magnetic functionality.
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