Steering Metallofullerene Electron Spin in Porous Metal–Organic Framework

Paramagnetic
endohedral fullerenes are ideal candidates for quantum
information processing and high-density data storage due to their
protected spins with particularly high stability. Herein, we report
a solid spin system based on a paramagnetic metallofullerene Y2@C79N through incarcerating it into the cage-shaped
pores of a metal–organic framework (MOF-177). In this kind
of guest and host complex, the Y2@C79N molecules
inside the pores of MOF crystal show axisymmetric paramagnetic property.
It was found that the pores of MOF-177 crystal play an important role
in dispersing the Y2@C79N molecules as well
as in steering their electron spin. The group of arranged Y2@C79N molecules and their electron spins in MOF crystals
are potential quantum bits for quantum information science and data
storage. Moreover, this kind of solid spin system can be used as a
probe for nanoscale nuclear magnetic resonance or for motion imaging
of a single biomolecule.