Tuning magnetism in Terbium Iron Garnet (Advanced Materials)

In Advanced Materials, Takayuki Shiino, Matteo Fettizio, Saúl Estandía, and Can Onur Avci from the SpinMad group at MULFOX, ICMAB, report how substituting magnetic iron atoms with nonmagnetic aluminum in terbium iron garnet enables fine-tuning of its magnetic behavior.

They also uncover a giant intrinsic exchange bias near magnetic compensation—a phenomenon typically seen in antiferromagnet/ferromagnet bilayers, but rarely in single-layer systems. This opens the door to new functionalities in magnetic devices. These findings offer fresh perspectives for energy-efficient spintronic technologies, where precise control of magnetic states is key to next-generation devices.

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Multifunctional 2D metal-organic frameworks on Silicon (Journal of Materials Chemistry C)

In Journal of Materials Chemistry C, Elena Bartolomé, from the LMI group at ICMAB, has contributed to a study demostrating the growth of lanthanoid-based (dysprosium or terbium) 2D metal-organic frameworks on functionalized silicon wafers. These 2D materials combine magnetic properties with bright luminescence in the case of terbium.

Importantly, the team showed that these functionalities are preserved when the materials are anchored on technologically relevant surfaces. This achievement paves the way for the preparation of magneto-optical devices and single-molecule magnets or qubits on surfaces, offering exciting possibilities for high-density information storage and quantum computing applications.

This article is part of the themed collection: Journal of Materials Chemistry C HOT Papers 2025 (selected by the journal Editors as especially significant based on reviewers’ recommendations and their own appraisal). Congratulations!

Graphical Abstract of the paper

New materials for beyond-Lithium batteries (Energy & Environmental Science)

The third work, published in Energy & Environmental Science, features Alexandre Ponrouch, Ashley Black, and Damien Monti, from the Solid State Chemistry group at ICMAB, among the authors. The study presents amorphous coordination polymers — disordered materials that can reversibly host a wide variety of divalent metal ions such as magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, and zinc, which are promising for electrochemical energy storage applications.

Unlike traditional crystalline materials, these amorphous structures allow ions to move quickly and efficiently, avoiding many of the limitations that currently slow down research into multivalent batteries. This approach represents an important step toward sustainable alternatives to today’s lithium-ion technology.

Graphical Abstract of the paper

Expanding the frontiers of materials science

These three publications highlight the diversity and excellence of ICMAB research: from fundamental discoveries in magnetism, to the integration of multifunctional metal-organic materials, and the design of innovative energy-storage solutions. Appearing in top-tier journals reinforces the institute’s international impact and its role in shaping the future of advanced materials.

References

1. Shiino, T.; Fettizio, M.; Estandía, S.; Avci, C. O. “Tunable Magnetism and Intrinsic Exchange Bias in Al-Substituted Terbium Iron Garnet” Advanced Materials (2025). https://doi/10.1002/adma.202510669
2. Bartolomé, E.; Sevilla, P.; Gabarró-Riera, G. et al. “Magnetic and luminescent lanthanoid (Ln = Tb, Dy) 2D MOFs on functionalized silicon” Journal of Materials Chemistry C (2025). https://doi.org/10.1039/D5TC02447A
3. Guo, X.; Markowski, R.; Black, A. et al. “Amorphous coordination polymers for versatile Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, Sr²⁺, Ba²⁺, and Zn²⁺ cation storage.” Energy & Environmental Science (2025). https://doi.org/10.1039/D5EE02567B