Magnetism in Multifunctional Lanthanide-Based Molecular Materials Across Dimensions
Elena Bartolomé, ICMAB-CSIC
Monday 15th July 2024
ICMAB -Sala d'Actes Carles Miravitlles
ONLINE (Register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_mqE1H3LvTnmVoLD9M2JzqQ)
Abstract
The field of Molecular Magnetism has advanced significantly since the discovery of Single Molecule Magnets (SMMs) three decades ago, driven by the goal of developing novel molecular nanomaterials and exploring fundamental quantum effects. The identification of magnetic bistability in the TbPc2 molecule catalyzed extensive research into lanthanide-based SMMs. Today, mononuclear SMMs exhibit energy barriers for spin reversal up to 2000 K, operational above 80 K, paving the way for practical applications in various technologies. Furthermore, recent chemical design advancements are enabling the synthesis of diverse lanthanide-based metal-organic compounds, ranging from 0D SMMs and clusters to 1D polymeric nanomagnets, 2D magnetic materials, and 3D metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). These materials possess unique optical and electronic properties derived from 4f electrons, unlocking new possibilities in applications such as luminescence, anticounterfeiting, magnetic refrigeration, switching, information storage, and quantum computing. In this seminar, I will highlight the remarkable potential of multifunctional lanthanide-based magnetic materials across different dimensionalities, presenting selected examples from our recent research.
Short bio
I graduated in Physics from the University of Zaragoza in 1997. Following a pre-doctoral fellowship, I completed my PhD in Applied Physics at the Low Temperature Division of the University of Twente, The Netherlands (1998-2002), in co-direction with the Dep. Condensed Matter of the University of Zaragoza. My thesis focused on the development of “Cryogenic Current Comparators with SQUID readout for Electrical Quantum Metrology.”
I then moved to Barcelona for two post-docs (2002-2006): the first as an I3P Fellow with the Superconductivity Group at ICMAB, and the second as a “Juan de la Cierva” Fellow with the Electromagnetism Group at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
From 2006 to 2023, I served as a Full Professor at EUSS School of Engineering, a private university associated with UAB. There, I taught various Engineering courses, supervised numerous Final Degree Projects, and conducted research on active-learning methods applied to Engineering Education. Between 2007 and 2012, I led the International Mobility Department, and from 2014 to 2023, I headed the EUSS Research Group, leading about 25 researchers and organizing numerous Outreach activities.
During this time, I combined teaching with scientific research in collaboration with external institutions, focusing on two main lines:
- As a “CSIC Doctoral Fellow” with the SUMAN Group at ICMAB, led by Prof. Xavier Obradors and Dr. Teresa Puig, my research focused on vortex pinning properties of YBCO superconducting thin-films and nanocomposites prepared by chemical methods.
- Since 2012, my interest turned to Molecular Magnetism. In collaboration with the Institute of Nanoscience and Materials of Aragón (INMA-CSIC) in Zaragoza, I have investigated single-molecule magnets (SMMs) and multifunctional metal-organic compounds based on lanthanide ions or transition metals.
In January 2024, I joined ICMAB-CSIC as a Tenured Scientist in the Smart Inorganic and Molecular Hybrid Materials Department.
My experimental expertise includes magnetic characterization of materials using dc/ac magnetometry down to milli-Kelvin temperatures, specific heat, luminescence, and Synchrotron radiation techniques, among others. I received the “Advanced Research” Full Professor Accreditation from AQU in 2020, the I3 Certificate from the State Research Agency in 2021, and have three recognized six-year research periods from AQU. I have published over 145 works, including 83 indexed articles, participated in more than 88 conferences, presented around 50 seminars, and been involved in 22 projects. Currently, I am co-directing a National Project with Prof. Javier Campo from INMA, and supervising the PhD thesis of Xiaoming Liu at ICMAB, together with Dr. José Giner Planas at ICMAB.
