Metal-organic magnets with large coercivity and ordering temperatures up to 242°C

Lightening the load Permanent magnets are generally produced from solid metals or alloys. Less dense compositions involving lighter elements tend to demagnetize well below room temperature or under modest applied external fields. Perlepe et al. now report that chemical reduction of a low-density chromium-pyrazine network produces a magnet that remains stable above 200°C and resists demagnetization with 7500-oersted coercivity at room temperature. The straightforward synthetic route to the material shows promise for broad exploration of potential applications. Science , this issue p. 587