Exploring magnetic molecules for solving geopolitical dependencies

Technologies related to the green transition and digitalization require tremendous amounts of different chemical elements. “We cannot decide which elements we can find from the Earth’s crust within the EU. Therefore, we must develop new materials from the elements that are available,” senior researcher Akseli Mansikkamäki states.

For example, currently more than 70 different elements—that is more than three quarters of the naturally occurring elements—are needed to manufacture a phone. At least half of these are listed as critical raw materials by the European Union. This makes the EU’s industry, defense technology and fight against climate change dependent on foreign countries. Geopolitical instability further aggravates this vulnerability.

Mansikkamäki’s research group at the University of Oulu, Finland, is developing molecules that could be used in future technologies. The materials that can be constructed from these kinds of molecules could be used to replace critical raw materials.

In a recent study published in Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, Mansikkamäki and doctoral researcher Anand Chekkottu Parambil explored how magnetic molecules could be constructed from the so-called main-group heavy metals. These metals include elements such as tin, lead and bismuth.

They are available in large quantities, but as metals they are not magnetic and they do not have many uses, for example, in microelectronics. But as parts of molecules, they can be used to construct magnetic materials for future components.

“In other words, we try to make ordinary chemical elements do things we never thought they could do,” Mansikkamäki explains.

Designing new materials is basic research at the border between chemistry and physics

The work conducted in Mansikkamäki’s research group is basic research that aims to study how the properties necessary for future technologies can be imparted into molecules and materials. The research carried out at the University of Oulu utilizes high-performance computing and theoretical methods. Practical experiments are conducted in collaboration with Canadian and British research groups.

Mansikkamäki obtained his doctoral degree in chemistry but now he works in theoretical physics.

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

Today, materials based on new types of molecules are still at an early stage of development and practical applications are few. The full potential of these materials in future technologies is still being discovered.

“For the future of our society, it is essential that the scientific foundation for the development of new materials is established today,” Mansikkamäki summarizes. “Considering world politics, in the future the transition towards higher development stage materials in the EU is inevitable.”