Encoding complexity within supramolecular analogues of frustrated magnets

Andrew B. Cairns; Matthew J. Cliffe; Joseph A.M. Paddison; Dominik Daisenberger; Matthew G. Tucker; François Xavier Coudert; Andrew L. Goodwin

doi:10.1038/nchem.2462

Encoding complexity within supramolecular analogues of frustrated magnets

Andrew B. Cairns, Matthew J. Cliffe, Joseph A.M. Paddison, Dominik Daisenberger, Matthew G. Tucker, François Xavier Coudert, Andrew L. Goodwin

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

29 Scopus citations

Abstract

The solid phases of gold(I) and/or silver(I) cyanides are supramolecular assemblies of inorganic polymer chains in which the key structural degrees of freedom - namely, the relative vertical shifts of neighbouring chains - are mathematically equivalent to the phase angles of rotating planar ('XY') spins. Here, we show how the supramolecular interactions between chains can be tuned to mimic different magnetic interactions. In this way, the structures of gold(I) and/or silver(I) cyanides reflect the phase behaviour of triangular XY magnets. Complex magnetic states predicted for this family of magnets - including collective spin-vortices of relevance to data storage applications - are realized in the structural chemistry of these cyanide polymers. Our results demonstrate how chemically simple inorganic materials can behave as structural analogues of otherwise inaccessible 'toy' spin models and also how the theoretical understanding of those models allows control over collective ('emergent') phenomena in supramolecular systems.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	442-447
Number of pages	6
Journal	Nature Chemistry
Volume	8
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/nchem.2462
State	Published - May 1 2016
Externally published	Yes

Funding

A.B.C., M.J.C., J.A.M.P. and A.L.G. acknowledge financial support from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC; EP/G004528/2), the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and the European Research Council (ERC; grant ref: 279705). High-pressure synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction measurements were carried out at the I15 Beamline, Diamond Light Source, UK. Quantum chemistry calculations made use of high performance computing resources from GENCI (grant x2015087069).

Funders	Funder number
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council	EP/G004528/2
Science and Technology Facilities Council
European Research Council	279705
Grand Équipement National De Calcul Intensif	x2015087069

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AU - Cliffe, Matthew J.

AU - Paddison, Joseph A.M.

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AU - Tucker, Matthew G.

AU - Coudert, François Xavier

AU - Goodwin, Andrew L.

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Encoding complexity within supramolecular analogues of frustrated magnets

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