Design of molecular materials combining magnetic, electrical and optical properties

The possibilities offered by hybrid functional materials formed by two molecular networks in the context of crystal engineering are illustrated with two different examples: (i) hybrid magnets constructed from combination of an extended ferromagnetic or ferrimagnetic inorganic network, with a molecular paramagnetic metal complex acting as template. (ii) Hybrid organic-inorganic compounds combining an organic pi -electron donor network that furnishes the pathway for electronic conductivity, with inorganic metal complexes that act as structural and/or magnetic components. These examples illustrate how this hybrid approach allows the design of molecular materials combining non-conventional magnetic, electrical and optical properties.