Recent developments in single-molecule toroics

Abstract

Single-molecule toroics (SMTs) are defined as bi-stable molecules with a toroidal magnetic state, which have broad application prospects in quantum computing and information storage, and can also be used as multiferroic materials with a magneto–electric coupling effect. Since the first observation of the SMT behavior of typical Dy₃ molecules, great progress has been made in the field of SMTs. In this Perspective, we provide an up-to-date overview of the emerging SMT architectures reported in recent years. Accordingly, thirteen representative examples with toroidal magnetization moments are discussed in order to elucidate the synthetic strategy to design SMT complexes and the factors dictating the arrangement of toroidal magnetic moments, and ultimately enlighten the study of SMTs with enhanced toroidal magnetization.