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Chiral Ni2+/Yb3+ Molecular Complex with Room-Temperature Magnetic-Field Driven 180° Polarization Reversal
Authors: M. Ivanov, M. Aragon-Alberti, C. Boucleinville, B. Donnadieu, V. A. Khomchenko, J. A. Paixão, P. M. Vilarinho, M. Beaudhuin, J. Long
Ref.: Mater. Today, 103395 (2026)
Abstract: Harnessing magnetoelectricity, the mutual control of magnetism and electricity, is crucial for next-generation electronics, including non-volatile memory and energy-efficient devices. While conventional single-phase inorganic magnetoelectrics often exhibit weak coupling at room-temperature, molecular materials, particularly those based on lanthanide ions, offer a promising frontier. Yet, their magnetoelectric responses have remained limited to date. Here, we report a chiral Ni2+/Yb3+molecular crystal [NiLYb(NO3)3] (S,S-H2L or R,R-H2L; H2L =((2,2′ - [[1,2-diphenyl-1,2-ethanediyl]bis[(E)-nitrilomethylidyne]]bis[6-methoxy)) that integrates the strong local Yb3+ magnetic anisotropy with an optimized crystal geometry. This design enables robust room-temperature ferroelectricity and exceptionally strong magnetoelectric coupling. Notably, application of a magnetic field along the polar axis induces a nearly complete (180◦) nanoscale polarization reversal at room temperature and a magnetoelectric coefficient, α31, of approximately 222 mV⋅Oe− 1 ⋅cm− 1 . This marks an advance over previous molecular systems, where only partial polarization modulation was possible. Such performance establishes a new benchmark for molecular magnetoelectrics and positions them as realistic competitors to state-of-the-art inorganic materials.
