Exploring magnetic molecules to solve geopolitical dependencies

Techniques related to green transitions and digitization require a huge amount of different chemical elements. “It is not possible to determine which elements can be found in the Earth’s crust within the EU. Therefore, new materials must be developed from the elements available,” says Akseli Mansikkamäki.

For example, more than 70 elements (more than three-quarters of naturally occurring elements) are currently required for mobile phone manufacturing. At least half of these are listed as important raw materials by the European Union. This will depend on foreign countries for the EU’s industry, defense technology and combating climate change. Geopolitical instability further exacerbates this vulnerability.

Mansikkamäki’s research group, located at Or University in Finland, is developing molecules that can be used in future technologies. Materials that can be constructed from these types of molecules can be used to replace important raw materials.

In a recent study published in Physics Chemistry and Chemistry Physics, Mansikkamäki and doctoral researcher Anand Chekkottu Parambil investigated how magnetic molecules can be constructed from so-called main groups of heavy metals. These metals include elements such as tin, lead and bismuth.

They are available in large quantities, but not magnetic as metals, and for example, in microelectronics, are not of many uses. However, they can be used as part of the molecule to construct magnetic materials for future components.

“In other words, we try to make ordinary chemical elements do things we didn’t think we could,” explains Mansikkamaki.

New material design is fundamental research at the border between chemistry and physics

The work carried out by the Mansikkamäki research group is basic research aimed at studying how the properties necessary for future technologies can be communicated to molecules and materials. Research conducted at the University of Oulu utilizes high-performance computing and theoretical methods. Practical experiments will be conducted in collaboration with research groups from Canada and the UK.

Mansikkamäki received his PhD in Chemistry, but currently works in theoretical physics.

“Chemistry and theoretical physics are not a very common combination, but as a background in education, it’s pretty optimal when you want to understand how molecules and high technology are related,” says Mansikkamäki.

Today, new types of molecule-based materials are still in the early stages of development, with few practical applications being available. The greatest potential of these materials in future technology is still being discovered.

“It is essential that today a scientific foundation for the development of new materials is established for the future of our society,” Mansikkamäki summed. “With global politics, a future transition to higher stages of development is inevitable.”