Research

M4 is one of the Aragón Leading Research Groups

M4 deals around the preparation and study of multifunctional and molecular magnetic materials, its research activity being encompassed in Molecular Nanoscience with an interest in quantum information technologies, energy and biomedicine.

Preferential attention deserves the characterization of the prepared materials. For this, the group has a series of techniques in which it is a reference for other national and foreign groups. These techniques in which members of the group have acquired international prestige are magnetic, thermal, x-ray  and neutron scattering.

The M4 group coordinates access to Spanish neutron diffractometers at the ILL exclusively for the Spanish community and they are currently leading the design and construction of XtremeD, a new instrument for measurements in extreme conditions of temperature, magnetic field and pressure of the that there is no world reference

The M4 group has an long standing tradition in the development of advanced scientific instrumentation.

Flexible Molecular Crystals

Design and study of flexible molecular crystals, purely organic systems with magnetic order and magnet molecules with luminescent properties.

Chiral materials for more efficient digitization.

Hybrid/molecular multiferroics.
New physics in chiral organic magnets
Process of information through magnetic excitations

Molecular Magnetic Refrigerators

Materials with strong magneto caloric effect. Room Temperature prototype of magnetic refrigerators

Nanometric Platforms for biomedicine

Multifunctional nanometric platforms and their application as tools for the diagnosis and therapy of diseases, especially cancer.

Main scientific goals

  • Study of the magneto-electric coupling in organic magnets with magnetic chirality due to frustration (geometric or competitive interactions).
  • Materials for elements of a new logic based on the manipulation of magnetic currents and / or chiral states.
  • Design and study of new flexible crystals, seeking to control their mobility and interacting with small molecules.
  • New molecular magneto caloric materials
  • New routes, some with patented technology and others under development, to manufacture and functionalization of nano-particles.
  • Structural and physical characterization of nano-objects (nanoparticles and gold nanorods)
  • Development of experimental equipment for obtaining high resolution temperature images and for measuring the efficiency of energy conversion in gold nano-rods
  • Determination of the efficacy of said platforms in biomedical applications is tested at the cellular and animal levels.