[Paper Review] Altermagnetic Metal-Organic Frameworks

Diego López‐Alcalá, Andrei Shumilin+1 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Mar 5, 2026

Magnetism in coordination complexes0 citations

TL;DR

A perspective on using metal-organic frameworks to realize altermagnetism, emphasizing how reticular chemistry enables engineered magnetic symmetry and momentum-space spin splitting in framework materials.

ABSTRACT

Altermagnetism has recently emerged as a new class of spin compensated magnetic materials that exhibit momentum dependent spin splitting despite having zero net magnetization. The origin of these electronic signatures lies in symmetry operations that connect opposite spin sublattices while allowing spin splitting in momentum space. While most candidate materials identified so far belong to inorganic crystals with fixed lattice symmetries, the realization of altermagnetism ultimately requires platforms in which magnetic symmetry can be deliberately engineered. In this Perspective, we discuss how metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) provide a unique chemical platform to address this challenge. We first place altermagnetism in the broader context of magnetic and electronically active metal-organic networks, highlighting how reticular chemistry enables precise control over lattice geometry, dimensionality and electronic structure. We then discuss how these features position framework materials as promising candidates for realizing altermagnetism and highlight the key challenges that must be addressed to translate theoretical proposals into experimentally accessible systems. Finally, we critically assess current experimental challenges and outline emerging directions for realizing and controlling altermagnetism in coordination framework materials, which emerge as a versatile and powerful platform for exploring new paradigms in spintronics.

Motivation & Objective

• Contextualize altermagnetism within magnetic and electronically active metal-organic networks.
• Explain how reticular chemistry enables control over lattice geometry, dimensionality, and electronic structure to realize altermagnetism.
• Identify challenges and translate theoretical proposals into experimentally accessible MOF systems.
• Assess current experimental hurdles and outline directions for realizing and controlling altermagnetism in coordination frameworks.

Proposed method

• Survey the landscape of altermagnetism as a spin-compensated, momentum-dependent spin-splitting phenomenon.
• Argue how MOFs serve as a chemical platform to deliberately engineer magnetic symmetry and lattice properties.
• Highlight the role of framework design in tuning electronic structure relevant to spin-splitting.
• Critically assess experimental challenges and propose directions for practical realization in MOFs.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 What design principles in MOFs enable altermagnetic behavior with momentum-dependent spin splitting?
• RQ2 How can reticular chemistry be used to control lattice symmetry, dimensionality, and electronic structure to realize altermagnetism?
• RQ3 What are the main experimental barriers to observing altermagnetism in framework materials, and how can they be addressed?

Key findings

• MOFs offer a versatile platform to engineer magnetic symmetry and spin-dependent electronic features.
• Reticular chemistry allows precise control over lattice geometry, dimensionality, and electronic structure relevant to altermagnetism.
• Framework materials are promising candidates for realizing altermagnetism, but several experimental challenges must be addressed to translate theory into practice.
• Current experimental hurdles are identified and directions for realizing and controlling altermagnetism in coordination frameworks are outlined.