Stereoregular radical polymers enable selective spin transfer.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 40117356.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/sciadv.adr4004 and PMC identifier 11927620.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Spintronic devices are emerging as an approach to realize performance and energy efficiency beyond what is possible with traditional electronic devices. State-of-the-art metals and doped conjugated polymers used for spin manipulation suffer from fundamental performance and stability issues. We leveraged stereoselective cationic polymerization to design a polymer with a stable persistent radical in each repeat unit that enables the long-range order necessary for spin transport. This approach overcomes conventional requirements for doping in organic spin-pumping devices while showcasing high conductivity, long spin-diffusion lengths, and processability. Molecular-level alterations in polymer stereochemistry were critical for controlling spin-spin interactions and alignment. Stereoregular polymers with persistent neutral radicals represent a previously unidentified class of materials for manipulating spins over long distances for applications in next-generation information storage.