Unconventional magnetism in small gold organic molecules

TL;DR

This paper theoretically investigates the magnetic properties of small gold and copper organic molecules, revealing unconventional magnetism where gold induces magnetism in surrounding atoms despite being weakly magnetic.

Contribution

It predicts that gold and copper molecules exhibit unconventional magnetism, with gold inducing spin density waves in surrounding atoms, a novel insight into molecular magnetism.

Findings

Gold and copper molecules are magnetic.

Gold induces magnetism in surrounding atoms.

Magnetism is unconventional, involving spin density waves.

Abstract

We present a theoretical study of the magnetic properties of dicyclopentadienyl metallocene and phthalocyanine molecules, that contain the transition metal atoms M = Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ir, Pt and Au. Our most important prediction is that gold and copper molecules are magnetic. We find that the magnetism of these molecules is fairly unconventional: the gold atom itself is weakly magnetic or even non-magnetic. Its role is rather to induce magnetism in the surrounding carbon and nitrogen atoms, producing a sort of spin density wave.